Long Gone Memories
by jackalope21
Summary: The first meeting between Constantine and someone he should remember, but never gets the chance. It's safer that way, for both of them...
1. Chapter 1

**Constantine**

Dallas Texas, 1998

Something was ravaging the town in the dead of night. Young women –or pieces of them rather- had been found in alleyways and ditches throughout the bustling city. John knew it was supernatural because of the way the women were killed. This wasn't some normal psychopath. This was something else. After a quick divination from Jasper, John was sent to the growing metropolis in search of whatever was eating young women.

Chas and Jasper were busy finishing up a previous case, closing out with people that would rather never see John again and the Brit was fine with it. He didn't want to see them either, so the two who hadn't pissed off the local police force or townsfolk were left to deal with them while he was on his own.

John walked through the semi-busy streets of the southern city. Even in the middle of the night it was hot. He hated it. It made him sweat without even trying and his clothing stick to his body.

Grumbling to himself, John lit another cigarette and continued through the streets. The bit of scrying he'd done in his cheap motel let him know something was going to happen at the corner of Fairmount and State Street. When he reached it, John noticed it was a backstreet that ran behind a rather large hotel. There were few cameras –if any- and a handful of the street lights were out. It was the perfect place for something to go horribly wrong.

Ensuring he had at least half a pack of cigarettes left, John took his stance at the end of the street behind one of the hotel's dumpsters and waited.

Hours passed and he was on his final cigarette before anything finally happened. A trashcan was kicked over sending every nerve on end. He stood upright and peeked around the edge of the dumpster to see a young man and woman stumbling through the alleyway. He sighed and exhaled the smoke from his lungs, ready to dip back into the shadows when it happened. Suddenly the young woman screamed before being silenced just was quickly.

By the time John made it to the couple only a few yards away, the young woman was being held limply in the young man's hands. John felt another aggravated sigh leave his lips.

"Vampire." He grumbled.

The young man dropped his dinner carelessly and turned to see the one who'd spoken. John cocked a brow at the demon faced man wearing the poor girl's blood on his face and throat.

"So you're the one that's been running 'round eatin' these poor girls." John didn't remove the irritation from his voice when he spoke.

The young man smiled wide and gladly showed off his sparkling canines.

"And?"

John shook his head. He hated the arrogance of the supernatural. They assumed that because he was human, he was _only_ human. John had more than enough tricks up his sleeves to deal with a simple vampire.

"Ya should've quit while you were ahead, mate." John replied. "This idn't gonna end well for you."

"You think I'm scared of you?" he laughed. "I'm not scared of anything."

John shook his head. He reached into his pocket for his supplies when the air around him shifted.

"Not scared of anything?" the icy cool voice sent chills down John's spine, and not only because it was behind him. "Oh Samuel, I find that _very _hard to believe."

John daringly glanced up through his lashes at the young man named Samuel and noticed it wasn't fear on his face, it was terror. If he could, John swore the vampire lost a few shades of color. Curiosity began to overwhelm John's good sense and before he could think better of it, he released the weapon in his pocket in favor of turning around. He didn't have to.

The sound of heels on concrete greeted his ears as the obviously female stranger came forward. She walked leisurely passed him as though he wasn't there and towards the frightened vampire.

"Cali…" Samuel stammered. "What uh… what are you doing here?"

She shook her head softly.

"Did you really think I wouldn't find out about this?" she asked. While she never raised her voice, the woman called Cali spoke softly like a disappointed mother. "And now you've brought a Hunter here. That's not acceptable, Samuel."

"I'm sorry." He stammered.

It was as though John had disappeared completely. Despite standing out in the open about ten feet from Samuel, the vampire never looked twice at him when Cali came into view. His eyes never darted or faltered away from her. Even John felt the power she emanated and it worried him.

Cali finally came to a stop within arm's reach of Samuel. She stood to the side giving John the ability to see them both in profile. He wondered if she did it for him, to give him either security in seeing their hands, or a show.

"I'm so sorry," Samuel continued to plead. His voice trembled slightly. "Give me a second chance."

"Shhh," Cali whispered softly.

She reached out and gently cupped his cheek. She smiled warmly and stroked his skin with her thumb. Without warning, Samuel grunted and lurched, but Cali held him in place. Her smile faded immediately and Samuel looked in thorough pain. John's eyes trickled down when he smelled a familiar stench of copper. Cali's hand was buried deeply in Samuel's chest.

Cali took a half step forward and closed the distance between her and Samuel. She pressed her cheek to his so she could whisper.

"That was your second chance."

Just as suddenly, she yanked her hand back. Samuel's skin immediately turned a sickly gray and veins began to protrude from everywhere. With fear in his face, he fell to the ground at her feet, curling beside the woman he'd killed seconds before John's initial arrival.

Cali took a deep breath and sighed. Dropping the heart to the ground, she dug into the pocket of her jacket with her clean hand and retrieved a handkerchief before turning to John. She looked him up and down simply.

"Who are you?" she asked.

John's eyes drifted away from the dead bodies and to the woman who'd contributed one of them. She took marginal steps forward, but something told John he didn't have to worry. Then again, it was just as likely he was a little surprised.

The young woman looked just that, young. She looked like a teenager, someone barely out of high school and definitely not old enough to drink. Deep black hair was tied high in a loose knot on the top of her head. Her face was heart-shaped and as sweet as the voice he'd heard. Her eyes were brilliant green –a borderline unnatural shade- and her lips full. Her body was just as nice to look at as her face, trim and lean from what he could tell through her clothes.

"Are you alright, or did you have a stroke?" she asked when he hadn't spoken. John tore his eyes from everything he was examining and met hers when she stopped wiping her hand. "What's your name?" she repeated.

"Constantine." He replied finally. "John Constantine."

She nodded and looked him over just as he had her. When she met his eyes again, John felt a familiar tug and knew what was coming. His grip on the stake in his pocket tightened.

"And who might you be, love?" he asked before she spoke.

With her eyes locked to his, she answered.

"A figment." She replied. John felt the compulsion wash over him. "You'll forget my face, my voice, forget you ever met me. You found the vampire you were looking for and took care of it. He's no longer a threat. You've done your job. Understand?"

John nodded. Before he could blink, she was gone. He was left in the alleyway alone to wonder what the hell just happened.

Still holding the holy water-soaked stake in his pocket firmly, John remembered everything. Her compulsion reached for him, but never took hold so long as he clutched the weapon in his pocket.

He had a first name and hoped that would be enough to find the vampire who seemed to hold some kind of sway over the others of her species within the city limits.

~~~~~!~~~~~

~~~!~~


	2. Chapter 2

**Present Day:**

John, Chas and Zed found themselves in Dallas Texas. A poltergeist seemed to be making the metropolis its new home, but John had trouble believing it was simply an angry spirit he was dealing with. Somehow, whatever tricks he tried to locate it, the so-called _poltergeist_ wasn't fooled. In truth, John was beginning to wonder if it wasn't some kind of lesser demon someone was keeping on a leash.

He hated to think another human had stumbled into his world and brought something back when they traveled too deeply into the darkness. It happened more often than he cared to think of.

"You sure this bird has the amulet?" John asked with his typical grumble as Chas navigated the downtown streets.

"Yes." He sighed. John had been haranguing him ever since Chas mentioned they had a friend in Dallas that might be able to help. "Like I said, she's a friend."

John scooted forward and propped his arms against the back of Chas's seat. While he sat between Zed and Chas, John's focus was only on one. The large man grumbled under his breath. The 'argument' was about to start all over again.

"But you ain't got any friends." John said for the tenth time since Chas mentioned the mysterious stranger in Dallas.

"_John,_" Zed hissed.

He barely felt the thump of her weak backhand.

"Not any I like." Chas shot back without a break in the conversation.

"Oh ha bloody ha."

A smirk touched both Zed and Chas's lips. His jab was obviously in reference to the Brit who wouldn't stop interrogating him from the backseat of the cab.

"I already told you, we both know her."

"No, we don't." John asserted. "Admittedly, I'm no all that great with names and the like, but I'm fairly certain I'd remember meetin' some girl named…" he hesitated. "What was it again?"

"Cali." Chas replied. "And you'll remember as soon as we get there. Now," Chas shrugged his shoulder and threw his elbow gently back. "Sit down. You're breathing on my neck."

Zed returned to aimlessly sketching when John had slumped into the backseat once again, but smiled to herself as she did. Chas simply shook his head.

"Every time." He sighed. "We go through this every time."

"Who is this chick?"

"Just a friend." Chas replied. With a glance in the mirror, he could see John still sulking or deep in thought. In truth, it was difficult to tell sometimes. "She's not as heavy into this stuff as we are, but she does manage to find some artifacts that end up helping."

"So, John's met her too?" she asked. Chas nodded. "Then how-come he doesn't remember?"

Chas didn't immediately offer an answer. It was a little difficult to explain to someone on the outside, especially someone who'd only just become accustomed to their world of weird.

"You'll see." He eventually said.

~!~

The building meant to be their destination looked like nothing special. It was a three story building reminiscent of the post offices in major cities a hundred years ago.

Its windows were nearly wall length which let in a ridiculous amount of light. The brick was the deepest red possible and bordered closer on blood. There were no real adornments of any kind (any structural detail that made it overly attractive) other than the random cinderblock corners like a few buildings had back then to break up the sea of red brick. It didn't truly look old, but it had the feel of something that had been around since long before anyone inside it.

John cocked a brow to it. He felt something touch the back of his neck, a nagging feeling that wouldn't likely dissipate any time soon, and debated on whether or not he should even enter.

"A bar an' grill." John said in a deadpan voice. It was obviously the building's new purpose. "Really."

Chas sighed, Zed rolled her eyes and with or without John, the pair entered the building. Exhaling the last remnants of smoke in his lungs, John tossed the cigarette away and joined them.

Inside was nothing special. It was as the sign outside suggested, a bar and a grill. The smell of steak and all other manner of common Texan food filled their noses and made their stomachs immediately grumble with hunger. The atmosphere was a bit more laid back than one might expect with a stage in the corner meant for live music, but it was a nice place.

Chas was the one who knew where to go and did so without hesitation. John didn't like having no choice but to follow alongside Zed. He preferred looking like the one in charge.

They followed Chas to the bar and took seats beside him just after the bartender disappeared.

"What's that about?" John asked. His patience with everything was growing thin. Chas said nothing as he turned in his seat to face the man with his back to the room. His expression only helped aggravate the blond. "Seriously, this is pissin' me off, mate."

"You get like this every time we come here." Chas mumbled.

"I've never been here." John snapped. "I don't know a bird named Cali, and I ain't never been in this bar."

During his rant, both Chas and Zed were able to see what John couldn't. Coming through the door that led to the backroom was a woman followed by the bartender. She came towards them with intent which Zed found interesting because she didn't understand half of what was happening.

Whoever she was, she didn't look as though she worked there. While the waiting staff and bartender wore black slacks and button-up shirts, she was nothing but casual. A long white, boho skirt and white Ramones t-shirt cut short enough to show just a bit of her midriff didn't exactly blend in with the surrounding attire. From the clothes to the fact her deep black hair was down in a loose braid, she looked like she belonged on a beach somewhere instead.

As John finished spouting his irritation, she came to a stop behind him and even went so far as to lean on the bar's top. With a smile, she waited until he was done.

"Well," she said when he'd finally stopped talking. "That's not entirely true now, is it?" John spun in his seat to see her smiling at him. A crooked smirk graced his lips, though it wasn't one of recognition. "John Constantine."

His smile faltered slightly, but he didn't let the fact she knew his name detract from the flirting he planned to employ. After all, Chas could have told the bartender who retrieved the young woman.

"Hello there, darling." He greeted. He offered his hand which she took. "You know my name, now what's yours?"

"Cali." She replied simply. It was obvious to everyone but John that Cali was trying to keep from laughing.

"You see, now I know we've never met before."

Cali snorted a laugh under her breath. She was losing the battle to keep form laughing outright.

"Can you just say it," Chas finally interjected. "So we can get this over with?"

"Say what?" Zed asked.

"The trigger words." Chas explained. "When she says the trigger words, he remembers everything like he's supposed to."

John's face went black. He immediately dropped Cali's hand, all the while she continued to grin.

"You took memories." He said in a low, threatening voice. Cali simply nodded as though she didn't care. "Mind control… you bloody used mind control on me."

Cali held up her fingers less than an inch a part.

"A bit." She mused.

He chewed on the inside of his cheek and looked as though he was struggling to keep from bellowing his anger with the situation. Any form of mind manipulation was the purest form of violation John could think of and while he might not have a second thought employing those techniques on others, he felt nothing but violated when they were used on him. But again, Cali enjoyed it.

"It amazes me," she began kindly. "That we go through this every time you come to see me."

John's glare turned dark. He didn't like that everyone around him was in on whatever was happening and his anger towards not only Cali, but Chas was growing to an almost unimaginable degree. Cali seemed to sense it and knew they were seconds from a meltdown. Sure enough, John slid off his stool and stood over her.

"Now you listen to me you bloody strumpet," he growled through his teeth. "I'm not the kind of person you want to be messin' with. You need to be givin' me what you took before I lose my patience." Cali did nothing more than raise a brow. Her smirk remained as well as her arrogance which only continued to irk John. "Alright," he muttered. "Then may whatever God you believe in help you, because I swear I'm going to reign down-"

"Hello sweetheart." Cali interrupted.

John was silenced immediately. His tirade ended and his expression became dumfounded. Zed watched. She expected to see a jolt, a shock or twitch of recognition take hold when Cali uttered what she assumed were the trigger words, but it was nothing more than the creases in his forehead relaxing. Eventually, a grin began to emerge and his entire posture became calm.

"Cali," he uttered her name with nothing but a charming sigh.

Cali raised a single brow. "A strumpet." She said forcing him to cringe mildly. "That's a new one."

"Well what the bloody hell you expect?" he defended. "You toy with me like that every time I come here."

"It's too fun not to." She smiled.

"You can be down right wicked, ya know that don't you?" he asked. She gave him a look that let him know she was more than aware. His smile broadened and to Zed's surprise, he opened his arms to the stranger. "Give us a cuddle then."

Cali stepped into his arms and the pair hugged. Zed either couldn't hide her shock or didn't realize the expression saturated her features. Whatever the reason, it was well on display to anyone who cared to look.

When the pair parted, Cali repeated it with Chas and seemed to finally spot the silent brunette at their sides.

"And who are you?" she asked kindly.

"Zed." John answered for the confused young woman. "And she's a bit psychic so no…" he mimed something neither woman was sure how to interpret. "Touching."

Cali laughed under her breath and shook her head.

"Well, come on then. Chas said you guys have business." Cali waved for the trio to follow her to the back which they did.

They stepped through the black swinging door that led into the kitchen, but they didn't make it that far. Just to the left was a small hallway nestled between the freezer and exterior wall. At the end of the wall was a rusted, decrepit and all together frightening box with a rickety gate as a door. To Zed's horror, they stepped inside.

The four made themselves as comfortable as they could when slipping into a small cubical built to hold barely three bodies. Cali slammed the gate shut and pressed an old brass button with a 3 etched into the surface.

The gears kicked on and the elevator lurched. Zed squeaked at the shock of it, but no one else was bothered.

"By the way," John said from behind Cali's left shoulder with his hands comfortably resting in his pockets. "Nice shirt."

Cali glanced briefly at the Ramones logo on her chest and smiled. The elevator began its climb.


	3. Chapter 3

**Dallas Texas, 1998**

John unfolded a map of the city and tried his best to smooth out the creases over the table in their hotel room. Chas and Jasper shared skeptical glances behind his back.

"Okay then," John said when he stood upright again. "Let's get to it."

"Get to what, exactly?" Jasper grumbled in his naturally deep, raspy voice.

John turned to face the two men who'd been eying his doubtfully since their arrival an hour ago.

"Find this girl." He said as though it should have been obvious.

"Why?" Chas asked. "The vamp's already dead. Why do you want to go looking for some woman?"

"It was the way he looked at her." John replied under his breath. He turned his eye to the map again. As he scratched the back of his head, John prayed Jasper could narrow it down. "He was terrified of her, but didn't think twice 'bout me."

"What is it you're expectin' me to do, exactly?" Jasper asked.

"What you're good at." John sighed obnoxiously. "Now get over 'ere and help me."

Jasper grumbled under his breath as he heaved himself out of the chair he'd sunk into earlier. Chas shared the older man's frustration with John, but didn't speak on it. He knew it would only start another half-sided fight.

Jasper hobbled towards John's side, favoring his right knee. The last bit of their previous case left him with a twinge of pain. It was to be expected after being tossed around like a ragdoll from the supernatural.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the large golden amulet he used for typical divination. Unlike most, Jasper was able to concentrate on what he wished to find and it was that skill John needed.

Standing back but not too far, John let his lit cigarette hang from his lips and dug his hands deeply into his pockets to keep from grabbing the necklace from Jasper and botching the spell.

Jasper closed his eyes and focused on what John wanted. He gave a brief description of her, but it was the fact she was obviously inhuman that lingered. With the rest of the ordeal explained, it was fairly obvious she could be a vampire as well.

John waited impatiently for Jasper to work. He grunted when the necklace pricked his hand and the blood began to flow. No matter how many times he'd done it, Jasper still hadn't become used to the initial jab.

Droplets of blood began to fall onto the map. They danced across the surface as they tried to find their home. While every man in the room expected there to be quite a few given the size of the city, the sheer number that they were finally presented with was staggering.

"Bloody hell…" John muttered. There didn't seem to be a square inch of the map without a red dot. "Can't ya narrow it down a bit?"

"By what?"

"I don't know, age, sex, pick a bloody topic."

"This isn't the Classifieds." Jasper shot back. "You want to find this girl, talk to someone on the map."

Jasper gathered the necklace in his palm and slipped it back into his jacket pocket before heading to the sink to wash his hands. He felt John glaring at him, but he didn't care. Just because his answer wasn't what the Brit wanted didn't mean there was a way to change it. John would just have to deal with it.

He glowered and spouted every mean thing he could think of inside his head, but didn't bother saying them aloud. John knew there was nothing else that could be done other than 'hit the pavement' and talk to local faction of vampires. His eyes fell to the map again. There was a thousand or more splattered across the map and only one of them was someone he wanted to talk to.

John grabbed his jacket and threaded his arms through it while he continued to stare at the dots. Sometimes he hated his natural curiosity. It seldom led to anything good. And despite knowing that, despite being well aware of the bad things that tended to follow him no matter where he went or what he did, John had every intention of finding the woman who put her fist through a vampire's chest and ripped out his heart like it was just another day.

~!~

By the fourth vampire who laughed in his face and ended up dead at his feet (he wasn't going to let the blood-suckers live afterward considering how dangerous they were), John began to wonder just what he'd gotten himself into. Everyone he spoke to thus far seemed to find it funny he was looking for the young woman known as Cali. None of them gave him the slightest bit of useful information which he found more infuriating the longer it continued.

John smacked the pack of freshly purchased cigarettes against the heel of his palm as he exited the corner store. When he was convinced the tobacco was shifted just enough within each cigarette, John took hold of the cellophane tab and with a practiced flick of the wrist, removed the pack of its protective coating. He paused on the front step of the store as he pulled a cigarette out, clasped it between his lips and reached for his lighter.

His feet found their rhythm again once the tip was lit and he was able to inhale the cancerous smoke. No sooner than he exhaled the cloud, he turned the corner and started off down the street.

By the time he made it nearly halfway through his first cigarette, John spotted something else that he'd gladly use to waste some time. A building loomed at the end of the street, nestled between a few others. It was three stories high and decked completely with blood red brick. He heard music playing from within –even from his place half a block away- and decided a drink was just what he needed.

The establishment was in full swing by the time he entered it. People lined the bar to his far right, dotted the floor and filled every table. The scent of food filled his nose and made his mouth water. The live band on the stage a few feet away from the sea of tables, but their music was definitely catchy to John's foreign ear.

Pushing his way through the crowd, he slinked towards the bar and struggled to find a seat. When he did finally steal a stool and wave down the bartender, John began his night of drinking while he stewed angrily about being unable to find Cali.

~!~

By the third scotch, John began to feel his irritation for the unsuccessful night waver. While it still bothered him, it didn't dominate his mind to the point he was consumed by it.

An argument caught his passing attention. The bartender was fighting with a drunk patron who didn't seem to want to leave for the night and no matter how much the bartender told him he had to, the patron wasn't swayed. Eventually, the bartender told a waitress to get their boss. John chuckled to himself. He found the situation amusing and was more than willing to sit back and enjoy the scene. At first.

The big black door at the far end of the bar swung open. The waitress was the first to emerge followed shortly by who he assumed was the owner, but it wasn't _just_ the owner. It was her, it was Cali. John's teasing smile faded immediately as she walked towards the drunk who refused to leave. He'd found her without even trying.

John quickly downed the rest of his drink, dropped a few dollars on the bar's surface and slid off his stool. Before Cali had the chance to disappear again, he had every intention of speaking to her, though what he planned to say he didn't know.

Cali seemed to have resolved the situation quickly –probably using the same compulsion she tried on him- and turned to leave after a few parting words to her employee. John followed after her.

She stepped through the same black door he soon slipped through unseen. He wasn't surprised to find the kitchen, but was when he spotted a narrow hallway to his left. Cali was nowhere to be seen amongst the many chefs in the back, but John was soon given a clue to where she'd disappeared to. The sound of grinding gears echoed loudly over that of the typical clanks of silverware and foods frying. Still invisible to the cooking crew, John followed the unusual sound.

An elevator at the end of the hall wasn't something he expected to see, but the building was old and it wasn't a complete shock to find one. Through the rickety gate, John watched the ancient cubicle climb until it came to a halt at the top. His mind began to swirl with what he could do, how he might be able to sneak up on her when the only way to her floor was through something that made more noise than a freight train. But, with a quick glance around, John realized it wasn't the only way.

A door to the immediate right of the elevator shaft caught his eye, but not so much as the brass word _stairs._ With a smirk, he threw open the door and raced up the stairs towards the third floor where he knew the elevator stopped. Logic be damned. John was fueled by not only curiosity, but his never ending desire to know everything.


	4. Chapter 4

**Present Day:**

They rode the elevator in silence. It was a short ride, and one nearly all of them had take before, but the newcomer wasn't sure what to think or do. The gears ground and creaked as the elevator climbed. The chains rattled and everything made noise. Zed wondered if they weren't going to plummet to the basement at any moment the longer they rode upward.

When they reached the top, the elevator lurched as it slammed into the blockers overhead. Zed's face lost color briefly and she clung to the railing inside. For a split second, she thought they were about to fall, but it never happened. Instead, Cali opened the new gate and stepped through followed shortly by Chas and John. Zed was eventually capable of using her feet again and exited the death trap before it really did collapse. She was surprised by what she saw.

The entire floor plan was open. The elevator shaft seemed to emerge in the middle of it. The kitchen was to the immediate right with the refrigerator pushed up against the wall shared with the elevator along with the shortest end of the L shaped countertop until it dead-ended against the fall wall. The kitchen was dotted with brand new appliances including a stove that looked like it had never been used.

The living room was directly across from it and in turn the elevator. John ad Chas were already sitting while Cali poured drinks, but Zed had to examine her surroundings. The furniture was newly upholstered but some of the pieces were obviously decades old at least.

Following the same wall, Zed saw what looked like some kind of music 'room' in the far left corner of the open plan. There was a baby grand piano resting in the corner, positioned so whoever was playing could see the room, and other instruments either hanging from the walls or leaned against them.

Across from that and nestled in the left blind spot of the elevator was a bedroom. Zed didn't walk into it, but came close. While it didn't have a door, a massive bookcase jutted out from each wall and created an open doorway between them. Just before the bookcase on the wall by the elevator was a door with the word _stairs_ hanging on it. Zed grumbled briefly when it was obvious she could've taken those instead of the metal death trap.

She didn't see a bathroom, but Zed assumed it was somewhere within the bedroom area and it was. The bathroom was just behind the elevator shaft and stairwell, sharing the wall with the kitchen and hidden from view.

The walls were brilliant white, the floors deep brown wood, the ductwork in the ceiling was open and the furniture neutral shades of grey. Bookshelves lined every free space of wall that wasn't covered by furniture or wall length windows. It was oddly shaped in Zed's mind. The best she could describe it was the floor plan was shaped like a donut and the elevator was the center. Everything seemed to wrap around it, but even though it was a substantial space, Zed had a feeling it was only half the actual size of the upper floor. And she was right.

"Wow." She finally said as she stepped towards the sitting area. "This place is amazing."

"Thanks." Cali smiled warmly as Zed took a seat with Chas on the couch. "I've collected a lot through the years I guess."

She nodded softly, but didn't know what else to say on the matter. Even if she did, it didn't take long for John to dominate the conversation.

"It's one of those little bits we're needin' love." He said when he finished off the scotch she'd poured him.

"Chas said you were hoping to borrow something, but he didn't say what."

"Phone's too risky sometimes." Chas admitted, and he wasn't wrong.

"What we're needin' is an pendant, actually." John said as though there'd never been a break in the conversation. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees so he could look seriously at the woman sitting in the armchair across from him. "We need Saint Lucy's Amulet."

Cali's brow slowly began to rise. She knew the implications as well as John about using that particular artifact.

"But you can't use that without-" Cali stopped talking immediately and understanding washed over her features. She turned slowly towards Zed. "A psychic." She seemed to muse over something unsaid before turning again to John. "Have you really come to this? Can't you find whatever you're looking for the old fashioned way?"

"It's shielded." He grumbled disdainfully under his breath. John slumped back into the chair again. "Whoever's got this sod on a leash is keepin' him pretty well covered. I need somethin' that can push through that."

"Clearly." She didn't bother hiding the sarcasm in her voice when she said it either. Cali scratched the side of her head as she thought. While she was more than willing to help him and Chas, something told her they weren't being completely honest with Zed about what the amulet did when it was used. She glanced briefly to him out of the corner of her eye before shifting her attention to Zed. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"Uh…" Zed was unprepared for the shift in conversation, but John found it annoying. He sighed heavily to show as much, but Cali ignored him entirely. Zed found his reaction interesting and decided she might as well play along. "Sure. Uh, water, if you have it."

Cali nodded and stood. She walked into the kitchen behind them and went about pouring Zed a glass of water from a bottle she'd pulled out of her fridge. Cali was trying to waste a bit of time, hoping John might think better of his idea and he knew it. The problem was, he couldn't. There was nothing else so her stalling did nothing more than annoy him.

When she returned, Cali handed Zed the glass of water. Zed reached for it an inadvertently touched Cali's thumb. The poor girl immediately seized. She slammed her body into the back of the couch and cried out as she was bombarded by memories. She'd even dropped the glass, but Cali swooped in and snatched it up just before it would have shattered against the floor. Everyone perked and watched Zed, knowing there was nothing they could do until it was over, but wanting to help somehow.

The fit lasted for only a minute –perhaps less- before Zed relaxed, but she felt like it had gone on for hours. Still panting, her muscles relaxed enough she could lean forward and bury her face in her hands.

"Oh my god…" she breathed.

Chas held her shoulders and tried to steady her.

"You okay?" he asked kindly.

Zed slowly lifted her head. Her focus was solely on Cali who was sitting once again in her seat across from the couch.

"What the hell just happened?" Zed breathed. Her question was aimed at Cali.

She shrugged. "How am I supposed to know?" she asked simply. "You're the psychic. What'd you see?"

"So much," Zed sighed. She sat upright and rubbed the side of her head. "I feel like I just watched a hundred lifetimes…"

"A few more than a hundred, I'd wager." John muttered to himself as he dug into his pocket for his cigarettes.

"Did…" Zed hesitated to ask the question she felt was a bit ridiculous. "Do you go to Renaissance Fairs?"

John immediately let out a long and boisterous laugh that surprised Zed. She'd never heard him make that noise before, nor had she ever seen Chas smile like he was. She knew her question was likely a bit ridiculous, but she didn't think it warranted that particular reaction.

"No." Cali answered as though she never heard John's outburst. "No, I experienced that stuff the hard way."

"What?"

Cali's confused expression soon mirrored Zed's. She turned to John who was about to light a cigarette. He paused.

"You didn't tell her what I was?"

John looked from Cali to Zed and back again. He did nothing more than shrug which prompted Cali to roll her eyes.

"I'm not human." She said to the young woman as plainly as she would have relayed the time. "And I haven't been in some time."

"What are you then?" Zed asked apprehensively as her gaze danced between John and Cali.

"Vampire." John answered simply before Cali had the chance.

"Wha… vampires are real?"

"Oh yeah." John nodded. "Along with all those other nasty beasties you been told 'bout since you were a lil' one."

"Excuse me," Cali snapped half-heartedly. "But I am right here. And you're not smoking that." She said, quickly stopping John from touching the lighter to the end of his cigarette. He looked at Cali through his lashes. "I'll be smelling that for months. Do you have any idea how much that stings someone with my sense of smell?"

"Apologies." He said sarcastically. "Look, we're getting' a bit off topic. You got the amulet or not?"

"But," Zed spun around and looked through the open windows. It was daylight outside and Cali was sitting in it. "Shouldn't you be… ya know…"

"Burning?" Cali offered. She seemed to know that's where Zed was going, but the young woman was too embarrassed to ask. Zed nodded. "UV protective coating." She said simply. "But otherwise, yeah."

"So sunlight, stakes… holy water?" Zed continued to press. She was a little stunned she was speaking to a vampire.

"All of it." Cali answered.

"Coffins?"

A light smile touched the corner of Cali's lips and she nodded.

"But they're not as necessary now. Not with blackout curtains and the like. It keeps out the sun."

"But… the sun's out now."

"Exactly!" John suddenly chimed. "Now, can we get back to this amulet business so you can get yer beauty sleep, hm?"

The vampire glared at him lightly, but he made a valid point. Cali was feeling the draining sun the longer she was awake and wanted to get this over with soon so she could go back to sleep. The problem was, she didn't actually want to give in to John.

Cali chewed on the inside of her cheek as she thought about whether or not she should give him the artifact he wanted. John prayed internally she would and breathed easier when she eventually nodded.

"Yeah," she sighed as she scratched the side of her head. "Why don't the three of you head downstairs, grab some food or something. I'll grab it and meet you down there."

There were nods amongst the others. Cali went about picking up the glasses and moving them into the sink while the others headed for the elevator again, but not all three of them entered it. John gave Chas a simple head tilt, silently telling his friend the two of them could carry on and he'd remain to speak with Cali. Chas seemed reluctant, but nodded and got into the elevator with Zed. They disappeared beneath the floor shortly after.


	5. Chapter 5

**Dallas Texas 1998**

John pressed his ear to the thin stock door that separated him from the top floor of the building. He struggled to hear anything over the music that echoed through the thin wood. His heart raced and when he didn't hear any other voices, he figured it was as good a time as any. Filled with adrenaline, John pushed through the unlocked door and into the room.

He hesitated immediately when he was confronted with a home. He hadn't expected to see an apartment on the top floor let alone the young woman he sought sitting at the piano and being the source of the music. She stopped playing the moment he stumbled through the door and stared at him with the same surprise that marred his features. He had seconds to react and find a lie that could possibly explain why he was in her home.

"Heeeeeyyyy," he greeted. John made sure to slur the word. When it doubt, play drunk.

He stumbled into the room as Cali slowly stood. She took cautious steps around her piano and towards him. He could clearly see recognition in her eyes and knew she was struggling to find some way to handle the situation she found herself in.

"This idn't tha loooo..."

Cali cocked a brow. John took a few more steps into the room just to show her a stumble. Cali swooped in and caught him. He knew if she was a vampire like he suspected she'd smell the fresh scotch on his breath and likely believe the story.

"Hi," he breathed heavily. Cali's nose curled and he knew she smelled the liquor. "You're a pretty lil' thing, aren't ya?"

"Thanks." She said unsurely. "Now then, let's get you back down stairs and see if we can't call you a cab, hm?"

"Oh," he chimed. "Well that's awful nice o' ya."

She gave him a forced smile and nodded. Instead of risking a trip down the stairs, Cali took John to the elevator where the trip to the ground floor would be a great deal safer for the man she assumed couldn't walk on his own.

She slammed the grate shut and pressed the brass G that would take them down. John felt his stomach do a turn when the elevator suddenly lurched and began its decent. The look that touched his face only added to his drunken persona.

"Don't be sick in here, okay?" Cali said with a light grimace when she noticed his face turn a shade paler. "I really don't feel like cleaning it up…"

John thought the statement was a bit odd, but pushed passed it in favor of something else.

"You look familiar darlin'." He mumbled. "We met before?"

He noticed her glance to him out of the corner of her eye, but keep her gaze primarily forward.

"Come here often?"

John sloppily shook his head.

"Then no, I doubt it."

He said nothing further as the elevator jolted to a stop at the bottom floor. Still holding his arm around her shoulder, Cali led him out, through the kitchen and back into the bar.

In the late hour and being the middle of the week, there weren't many people left. It wasn't unusual. People tended to dissipate once the band left in search of another club or something along those lines. Whatever the reason for the mass exodus, there was only about a dozen people left behind, dotted through the floor plan. It surprised John, but Cali was used to it.

She brought him to the bar and unthreaded his arm when he was seated. She motioned to the bartender for the house phone which he brought over. Cali was ready to dial the number for a cab when John spoke up. He told her he had friends in town he could call for a ride. Cali handed him the phone, but kept an eye on him. She didn't trust him.

The likelihood of John finding her after she compelled him not to was slim, even slimmer given he'd actually found her home. There was something off about the boozy Brit and she couldn't put her finger on it. Cali decided to remain behind and listen to his conversation just to be sure. John noticed her skeptical stare and decided he'd better call Chas for real otherwise she'd discover his lie sooner than he wanted her to.

When the call was made and ended, John set the phone down. He turned to Cali and gave her a wide, obnoxious grin. If he was trying to be charming, she didn't see it. Openly rolling her eyes, Cali was prepared to leave him where he was until she noticed it. The patrons in the bar were watching them and watching them closer than they should have. She narrowed her eyes as they slowly began to stand and step towards the pair at the bar.

"Jake, you should go ahead and take a break." Cali said. The bartender obviously didn't understand, but with a sharp stare from his boss, he complied.

John wondered what had turned the relatively light atmosphere into something so tense until he turned around. He saw the dozen patrons moving towards them ominously. His drunken façade faded immediately.

"Friends of yours, love?" he asked with an oddly sober voice that made Cali look at him sideways.

"Not exactly." She replied before turning her attention to those advancing. "Can I help you with something?"

"Really Cali?" the one in the foreground asked in an accusatory voice. "You're getting a little cozy with the hunter that killed Samuel, aren't you?"

"He didn't kill Samuel," she sighed with annoyance. Cali was irritated she not only had to explain herself, but compel this situation out of John's mind when it was over. "I did."

The shock that tore through the crowd was not only surprising, but seemed to spark some kind of anger amongst them.

"You?" another demanded. "But he's one of us. You turned on your own kind?"

"He was careless and stupid." She continued to keep the leisurely tone which only made the others angrier. "He deserved what he got."

"Ya know something?" the first one asked rhetorically. "Me and the others have been thinking that maybe you don't have what it takes anymore to lead the community."

John glanced sideways to the woman who did little more than cock a brow.

"Really?" she asked as though she couldn't be bothered with their concerns. "And what do you plan to do about it?"

John watched as their faces began to shift. Their eyes turned bloodshot and disgusting, veins protruded around their sockets and fangs emerged. A few of them hissed at her, but again, Cali seemed less than impressed. John didn't know if it was arrogance on her part, or if she had no reason to be afraid of the ones mobilizing against her.

As though on cue, the fight began. John's human eyes had trouble keeping up with the sudden movements of the unnatural species. He only saw bodies flying and heard the sounds of flesh hitting flesh. In what felt like seconds everything went suddenly still again.

Bodies littered the floor. Cali stood in the middle of them, covered in blood but unharmed. All of those who'd challenged her were lying in pieces at her feet except one. The one who spoke to her and suggested she should be dethroned was left standing. He stared at his surroundings in horror which John assumed had been the point. Cali turned to face him.

"Did you really think that would work?" she asked simply as she took measured steps through the carnage. "Honestly?"

The one who'd so easily shot off his mouth now seemed to have trouble speaking. Cali tilted her head to the side and waited for an answer that would never come.

"Run along now." She said to his shock.

"What?" he stammered.

"We're going to play a game of hide and seek." She said. "You're going to hide, and if I ever find you," her eyes turned dark and wicked. John finally saw her turn into the vampire he suspected her of being all along. "I'll show you all my favorite torture techniques."

He didn't need to be told twice. Before John could blink, he was gone from sight.

John didn't know where the words came from, but they sprang out of his mouth before he could reel them in.

"Bloody hell," he mumbled as he looked at the slaughter and how many of the bodies had holes in their chests. "Again with the hearts."

Cali sighed and turned her attention to the once silent blond. He watched as her features relaxed once again to normal, but the annoyance remained.

"Now then," she replied. Her voice drew his eye. "I think you and I have a few things to discuss, Mr. Constantine."


	6. Chapter 6

**Present Day:**

Cali dumped out the little bit of liquid –if any- that remained in each glass and rinsed them out briefly. It wasn't that she was OCD about being clean, but it did serve a purpose. She wasn't lying when she told John she'd be smelling his one cigarette for a long time. Some times, living above a restaurant was hell. She could smell everything that went bad or would soon. It wasn't always pleasant, so she did her best to keep what she could clean.

As she set the final glass gently within the deep sink, Cali was suddenly aware there was someone behind her. She didn't have to guess as to whom and rolled her eyes to herself as a result.

"I thought I told you to wait downstairs?" she asked almost rhetorically.

"Yeah well," John sighed. Cali began to dry her hands on a towel and turned to see him leaning lazily against her refrigerator and his hands in his pockets as he looked at her. "Forgive me, but somethin' tells me you're not all that certain when it comes to handin' over the amulet."

Cali finished drying her hands and tossed the towel into the sink. She propped a hand against the countertop and leaned against it with her other hand on her hip.

"Yeah well," she said, mocking him slightly with how casually he was asking for her favor. "Something tells me you weren't honest with that girl about what the amulet really does."

John didn't immediately speak. Instead he took a deep breath, sighed again and let his eyes drift to the deep wooded floors.

"Seven." He said. "That's how many bodies this things claimed so far." He gradually met her eye again. "Without that thing to help us find it, more bodies are gonna drop. You want that on your head?"

She shrugged easily. "You humans die every day." She replied coolly. "What's a few more?"

John grumbled and rolled his eyes. He let his head fall back against the fridge and this time elected to stare at the open ductwork above him. He should've known better than to use that as an excuse when it came to arguing his case. It wasn't that Cali was callous or a vicious person, but it was the natural order to things and she had been around long enough to know that sometimes people just died. There wasn't rhyme or reason to it, people just died.

"Come on Cali," he said. Eventually John looked at her again. "She can handle it. Zed's turnin' into a hell o'va little psychic."

"Pft," Cali scoffed to herself. Like before, she seemed to weigh her options and finally resigned. "This is on your head, John Constantine." She said before proceeding to the wall of bookshelves that stretched from the kitchen to the living room.

"Isn't it always?" he asked himself sarcastically under his breath.

He shoved himself away from the fridge and followed after Cali. He watched as she reached into the bookshelf. Pushing a few trinkets aside, she pressed her hand flatly against the back. The pair waited as a blue light from the invisible pad scanned her hand. Seconds later they heard locks click and a machine sigh as it gave way and unlocked. When it had, Cali grabbed the edge of the same bookcase and pulled it out revealing a doorway behind.

"Hidden door." John said as he took a stance behind her and peered into the other half of the third floor Zed noticed was suspiciously absent. "Not too original is it?"

"Says the man who live in a basement." She jabbed under her breath.

John chuckled and smiled to himself. He waited for Cali to enter the room first. He was wise enough to know it might be booby trapped and remained where he was for a moment. After an internal count of ten, he followed after the woman in the white flowing skirt.

The room on the other side of the bookshelf was nothing like what he'd just been standing in. The brick walls were left bare so the deep burgundy brick was completely exposed. The tall windows lined every wall and were covered with the same film as the ones in Cali's living area. It was a reflective tint that let you look out, but anyone peering in would only see their reflection. It was smart and cut down on peepers and those nasty UV rays.

More bookshelves lined every free space and scattered throughout were tables and desks. There were boxes everywhere along with crates. Some were new, others extremely old, and despite everything looking like it was neglected, it was oddly clean. If someone sprinkled a layer of dust along everything, it would look like one of those creepy abandoned rooms you'd expect a ghost to call home.

Antiques that weren't in a box or crate peeked out from random hiding places around the room too. He saw glints of bronze, brass and silver. It was an impressive sight and not dissimilar to Jasper's cabin, but again it was much cleaner and –to John's shock- there was an order to the chaos. The longer he strolled leisurely through the 'library of old', John began to realize the room was actually organized.

"Ever been a librarian?" he teased as he stepped around an impressively sized bronze statue of the Hindu god Shiva meditating. Even though he was sitting, the God was nearly the height of the average fifth grader and had to easily weigh hundreds of pounds.

"Yes," she mumbled her response. John looked up and noticed her standing in front of a bookshelf packed with large boxes. Each held a label which she was preoccupied reading. "As a matter of fact, I was. Many times."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" he replied sarcastically. "Are you really this anal about this stuff?"

"As opposed to your method?" she asked in the same tone. John looked up again and noticed her pushing a Librarian's Ladder along the bookshelves and towards the area she needed. "Which seems to be to toss everything into a room and pray you can find it when it's necessary."

"There's a method to the madness." He said.

John took leisure steps towards her as Cali climbed the ladder to the top and grabbed the box she needed. It was too awkward and large for her to hook it under her arm so she simply pulled it out as far as she needed then slid it onto her open palm. John smiled. She looked like a waitress carrying a tray as she descended the stairs.

"Here," he offered his hands when she reached the bottom. Cali glanced up. A coy smirk touched her lips as she eyed him.

"You sure?" she asked.

John made a face and motioned for her to hand it over. Cali shrugged as did as he silently demanded. John wrapped his hands across the bottom edges and waited until Cali let go. He wished he'd taken her question more seriously. The instant she let go, he felt it. John grunted when confronted with how heavy the box truly was.

"Bloody hell…" he groaned as he struggled to keep it in his arms.

Cali stepped around him and to the nearest desk. She shoved aside a few things giving him the room he needed, all the while laughing at the man trying not to drop the artifacts.

When he did finally set it down, even the table groaned it's protest at the added weight. John groaned again and stretched.

"I think I might've pulled somethin'." He muttered as he fought the twinge in his lower back. He noticed Cali giggling to herself as she popped off the top of the box labeled _Talismans_. "You think that's funny, do ya?"

"I asked if you were sure." She defended weakly.

John shook his head. "Bloody vampire strength."

Cali giggled again, but didn't bother looking up. Setting the lid aside, she began to look through the contents of the box. John leaned over her shoulder to see what magical goodies she might have.

Inside the big box were smaller ones –most of which were made of wood- and felt or cloth bags.

"If I remember right," she said primarily to herself. "It should be in one of these pouches."

Cali reached in and began pulling out the small fabric bags. She'd glance inside each one and set it aside before reaching in for another. By the fourth bag, she seemed to find what she wanted.

"Here it is." She confirmed. Cali pulled open the mouth of the pouch as wide as it would go and grabbed John's hand. She dumped out the contents. An old amulet the size of a tennis ball, but no thicker than a pencil, fell into his hand followed shortly by a thick chain. "The Amulet of Saint Lucy."

John took the heavy pendant into his fingers and held it up so he could better look at it. The metal was etched with marks from years of use and abuse. It was once a brilliant brass, but was reduced to an aged and tarnished patina that honestly made it look better. On one side there was a stamped impression of a woman from the waist up –like most Catholic images- holding her iconic dagger in one hand and a tray with two eyes resting on it in the other. When he flipped it over, the reverse of the coin held the incantation he needed in Latin.

"The Patron Saint of the Blind." John muttered as he looked again at the woman with the tray of eyes. "That image always freaked me out a bit."

Cali smiled crookedly and offered him the bag. John gladly took it.

"Thanks for this, love." He replied as he dropped the coin back into it's bag. "I'll be sure to bring this back, yeah?"

John was ready to leave, but he felt something clamp down on his arm. He didn't have to guess it was Cali keeping him from going, but he hadn't expected the blank look on her face when he turned to her. It made his brows twitch slightly.

"You have to tell her what the amulet does, John." She said simply. He stayed silent which she seemed to hate. Still holding his arm, Cali turned in her spot and squared herself on the magician. Her eyes turned stern. "You know what can happen to her. Once she reads that incantation-"

"She's linked to the demon, I know." He finished shortly. "That's the point of usin' a psychic, darlin'. The amulet's supposed to make the blind see."

Her grip tensed just enough John would notice and remember how strong Cali really was. It was intentional and he knew that too.

"It's more than just seeing through the demon's eyes. If you excise that thing while she's still connected to it, you run the risk of causing her some serious pain, John." She said tersely. "She will be mentally linked to the demon which means you kill it, or excise it, she'll feel every bit and that's assuming being linked doesn't drive her insane on its own."

At some point during her speech, John's expression darkened and his deep brown eyes turned nearly black. She knew he knew the risks, but she could also see he felt he had no choice and that's what scared her.

Eventually John leaned closer, ensuring his face was mere inches from hers.

"I know." He whispered given the proximity. "Now, let go of my bloody arm so I can do my damn job."

Cali sighed and relented. She let go and when she met his eye again, John could see sad disappointment. It was a mix of emotions he was used to seeing people give him.

"At least tell her what she's in for, John. Please." She repeated. "That's all I ask."

He seemed to weigh whether or not telling Zed the truth was the best plan. And, finally, he found himself nodding. John reluctantly met her eye again.

"I'll bring this back when this is all done." He said. John left the room and soon the apartment before Cali could stop him again.

Left on her own, Cali felt her shoulders slump. He wouldn't tell Zed. She knew it. He only wanted her to think he would so he could use the amulet and she knew that too. That's how he operated. That was John Constantine. Whatever it took to get the job done…


	7. Chapter 7

**Dallas Texas, 1998**

Cali had been staring unblinkingly at John for awhile and he was no more comfortable with it than he had been before. The only thing he could do was look anywhere but at her eyes and even then it didn't help. She was covered in blood from the spatter across her body to her arms drenched in the liquid up to her elbows. And all the while, she stared at him.

"What?!" he finally snapped when it drew on his last nerve. "For the love of Christ, what?!"

"How?" she asked. "You shouldn't remember the other night. How?"

John chewed on the inside of his cheek for a moment.

"Holy water soaked stake in my pocket." He said. She let out aloud, exasperated sigh. "I had hold of it when you compelled me."

"Of course you did." She grumbled under her breath. "And what about here? How'd you know to come to my bar?"

"I didn't." he admitted freely. Given the situation had calmed as much as he assumed it would, John reached into is pocket for his cigarettes. He struck one up without pause and noticed her nose curl a bit. It didn't surprise or stop him. "I couldn't find ya."

She cocked a single, delicate brow. "But you were looking?"

John paused. He eyed her skeptically. When he exhaled his lungful of smoke, he nodded slowly.

"Why?" she asked leadingly which caused him to narrow his eyes. He felt like she might've been teasing him.

"You scared that bloke, Samuel. And I don't mean worried 'im." He said with his lips still holding the cigarette. "That boy was terrified. I wanted to know why."

She nodded slowly and didn't ask anything else. Instead, Cali's eyes traveled to the room. She began to form a plan on how best to clean up the carnage left behind. Thankfully, it was as easy as letting in the light. She'd take the body parts outside, somewhere they'd be hidden from the public and saturated in sunlight when it came. That'd be more than enough to destroy any evidence.

"So, you some kind of big baddie then?" John asked after a brief silence. The question drew her gaze.

"What makes you ask that?"

"Forgettin' you just eviscerated a half dozen of these bastards without breakin' a sweat," he said sarcastically. "One of them said you's in charge. That true?"

"I suppose." She answered cryptically. She didn't feel like explaining further, but with a glance to John, she realized the irritating Brit didn't seem willing to let it go. Cali sighed heavily. "I'm the oldest." She said bluntly.

"In the city?"

"In the mid-west." She clarified.

John stared at her skeptically.

"You're takin' the piss." He replied. It was a very English way of –basically- saying she was full of shit, but that didn't make her statement any less true.

Cali shook her head. He narrowed his eyes on her again. She didn't look old. Hell, she looked like a teenager, but John was smart enough to realize that was nothing to go by when it came to her kind. And the longer he thought about it, the more he had to know.

"How old are you?"

"Shouldn't a Brit know better than to ask a lady her age?" she jabbed mildly.

A crooked smirk graced his lips as he stumped out his cigarette.

"You ain't a lady."

"Right… well that's the perfect way to get me to open up. Please, keep the compliments coming."

John openly rolled his eyes.

"You're a bit irritating, ya know that?"

"You really think I care what some half-assed Exorcist thinks about me?" she dared. His face dropped. "Yeah, I looked you up, John Constantine. Apparently arrogance is a family trait."

"You know my kin?"

"Not personally, no. Thank god. But they always seemed nearby through the years. I have had a few mess things up for me along the way though, bringing light to the supernatural and in turn forcing me to run." She said bitterly. "You've any idea how difficult a few of your great cousins or whatever the hell they were made it to live in Salem? Your family's the reason the Witch Trials even began. I couldn't even walk through town without catching the stink eye from someone after those started."

"The Witch Trials." He muttered. "You tryin' to tell me you're over three hundred and fifty years old?"

"Oh sweetheart," her condescension was palpable. "I'm so much older than that." He cocked an expecting brow. "Let's see… who would've been your King at the time…' she thought briefly before she remembered. A smile touched her lips when she met his gaze again. "Hm… I don't think Britain had a king back then. Or a monarchy."

John's mouth slowly began to slack. Thankfully, his cigarette seemed stuck to his bottom lip which kept it from tumbling free of his gaping maw. She found his skepticism more amusing than anything.

"England's had a monarchy for a thousand years."

"And?" she countered simply. "My people have had a ruler since the beginning of time, it seems, though not always sane ones." Cali seemed to drift into thought. She suddenly shuddered and shook the feeling of disgust away before muttering a name John and everyone else knew. "Caligula…"

John's face fell further –if it were possible- and he found himself unwilling to believe her. When silence stretched for more than a few moments, she looked up and noticed him still staring at her. Nearly an inch of ash had burned from the end of his cigarette.

"I'm sorry, but have you had a stroke?" she asked.

Her insult seemed to be what shocked John out of his stupor. He met her words with a stern glare.

"I'm sorry," he said sounding more annoyed than anything. "But you seriously tryin' to tell me you're two thousand years old?"

He wasn't sure why, but John's mind seemed to ignore her mention of the lack of English monarchy in favor of her comment about the famed –or infamous rather- Roman Emperor.

"Of course not." She snapped indignantly.

He waited for her to continue. He waited for her to tell him he'd hear her wrong, but it never came. Instead, Cali simply stared back blankly. John gave her a curt, short smile.

"Many Cali's back then?" he mocked. "Name seems a bit modern for someone claimin' to be so old."

Her delicate brow rose in irritation. It was a look John was more than accustomed to receiving.

"Calithea." She said.

"What?"

"My name," she explained. "It's Calithea. Cali for short."

"Of course it is." He replied to himself. "Well, looky here _Calithea_," the way he said her name made her eyes narrow and he knew it would. "You and me still got things to discuss and we're gonna."

"Are we?" she asked sarcastically. She shoved herself away from the bar she'd taken to leaning against and shook her head softly. "I doubt that. You'd do better just to leave here, and not come back."

She tried to walk away, but John wasn't willing to let her.

"We ain't done yet, love." He said as he snatched her arm.

He should have known better. Cali slipped from his grip easily and spun on her heel. Before he could blink, she had him by the throat and held tight.

"Just because I'm being hospitable, doesn't mean you can lay hands on me." She growled through her teeth. Her grip loosened just enough John didn't have to fear immediate suffocation. "I have neither the time, nor patience to deal with you or your pointless questions. In case you hadn't noticed, I have my own problems to deal with here and I don't need you adding to them." She finally released him entirely. John immediately adjusted himself and cleared his throat as though she hadn't almost killed him. "Do you have any relics on you?"

"What?"

"You heard me." She said shortly.

"No." he grumbled tightly. He felt foolish for the admission instantly. "But I got friends comin'."

She squared herself on him and John felt the familiar tug. Compulsion was coming.

"You're going to walk through that door," she said pointing to the front door to the bar. "And the moment you're through its threshold, you'll forget me. You'll forget my face, my name and the fact we've ever met. As far as your visit here, you're the one who killed the vampires. I was never here. Do you understand?"

He nodded. When she looked away, he was free from her control. While John wanted to be angry for the violation, he felt a question bubble before he could stop it.

"Why do you do that?" he asked.

She turned to face him, but looked as though she didn't understand the simple question.

"Make people forget you exist." He elaborated. To his surprise, he saw something akin to sadness darken her eyes just a bit.

"It's safer that way." She said sadly.

"For who?"

"Everyone."


	8. Chapter 8

**Present Day:**

Cali sat behind the keyboard of her antique piano. Her fingers glided gently along the true ivory and with the slightest touch, she was able to make it sing beautifully. The resonant tones always helped calm her mind when there was too much on it.

John had been gone for nearly two days and if he didn't call or return soon, they risked so much more than his failure. It was a loophole between the pair. If he didn't see her or hear her voice within two days of the last time, John's mind would immediately wipe and it would be as though she was never there. It was their backup plan should something come up and she was never able to erase their time together. 48 hours… and it was coming up.

She stared into nothingness as she thought about John, what he had to do and poor Zed. Still, Cali had to admit, the blond Brit dominated most of it. She'd known him more than a decade. Hell, it was getting closer to two. And still she worried, but the worry wasn't just for what may happen, it was for him. He'd been so beaten down through the years and while she acted like she didn't notice, she did. Every time something brought him her way again she could see the little bits of him that had been chipped away. It broke her heart.

A heavy foot stomped just outside her bedroom door. Before Cali could stand to see who might be coming to her house at four in the morning, the door swung open to reveal the very person she'd been so worried about. He looked at her heavily.

"Oh John," she whispered. Cali sprang to her feet and rushed for the man incapable of standing on his own feet for more than a few seconds. Even with her speed he almost hit the ground. Cali caught him easily and lifted his head to better see him. "What happened?" she asked as she cradled his jaw.

"Oh, ya know…" he tried to shrug, but was a little too dizzy to do so.

"Come on," Cali said as she looped his arm over her shoulder. "Let's get you cleaned up."

He put up no resistance as he followed Cali through her apartment and to the bathroom.

His shirt was stained in blood, his hair mussed and his jacket torn. His tie was gone completely and his face was badly beaten. Cali feared what might be lingering just beneath his clothes if what was visible was so bad.

When she reached the toilet, Cali set him down gently and slid from his hold. John fell back against the tank and his head dropped back. He looked like he was ready to fall asleep where he sat and she couldn't blame him for it. While he rested, Cali went through her cabinets to find anything she owned in the way of First Aid.

John's mind swam with images as he recounted everything that just happened.

_Zed seized and screamed as the spell took hold. Her back arched and her yells aimed skyward. Perhaps John should have been more specific as to the amulet's powers._

_When the ache ended and she was able to control her body once more, Zed's head snapped up. Her eyes were as white as fresh snow, every hint of color muted out as though it had never been there. Her lips were parted as she breathed heavily and slowly her head tilted to the side. _

"_I… can see…" she whispered softly as though the beast would hear her. "I can see through its eyes."_

_While he felt a hint of relief that the spell had worked, John couldn't be happy for it. They still had a job to do. He handed her the pencil that was resting in her hair behind her ear and slid a piece of paper in front of her._

"_Draw what you see." He instructed. Zed clasped the pencil firmly and with his help, pressed it to parchment. A scene soon appeared._

_With a few clever locating spells aimed towards the subject of the drawings and not their shielded demon, the trio was soon confronted with the bastard. He inhabited the body of the one who'd summoned him, a young man John had spoken to because the deaths surrounded him. Apparently he had a body-time-share going with the demon…_

_The fight raged as they always did. John was tossed through the air and beaten mercilessly. Chas faired the same. Zed was untouched because she'd been forced to remain in the car, but she was more than capable of seeing everything that happened._

_When he finally excised the demon, John realized how strong the bond was with it and Zed. She'd passed out completely after an impressive bout of screaming. He didn't want to be callous about her situation seeing as he'd put her in it, but she'd wake up. Eventually._

A sharp sting brought him back to reality. Cali had pressed a compress with some disinfectant against the open gash on his forehead.

"The bloody hell is that?" he hissed tiredly. "Acid?"

"Diluted of course." She teased. It was only iodine.

John laughed weakly and nodded. Cali continued to gently wipe the wound and finally met his heavy eyes.

"What happened?" she asked softly.

"Same ol', same ol'." He replied in the same voice.

Cali sighed and shook her head. Her eyes went back to what she was doing, but with her so close John was able to see the sadness saturate her features. It was a common occurrence when he came for a visit.

"I wish you'd be more careful." She finally said. Cali continued to dab his forehead until the wound was clear. She grabbed a new cloth to repeat the action to the cut on his cheek. "You humans are so fragile."

A smirk crossed John's lips shortly before he winced again at the iodine.

"Ya worried bout me, love?" he asked with a hint of teasing.

She let a weak smile form, but didn't respond until she'd cleaned his cheek and met his gaze again.

"Always."

Cali continued to clean his wounds and use butterfly-bandages on the cut on his forehead. When she was finished, she leaned back and simply stared at him.

"I'd offer to heal those for you, but-"

"Too dangerous, darlin'." He sighed. And it was in some ways. Both of them knew the chances of him dying and turning with her blood in his system was a high one. Neither of them wanted him to turn. "Here,"

John dug into his pocket and retrieved the pouch he'd borrowed a few days prior. He handed it off, but Cali did little more than set it on her vanity nearby. She stood and offered him her hand. With her help, he stood and the two exited the bathroom.

"Thanks again, Cali." He said when they made it back to her living room. She turned to face him and noticed John standing next to the elevator. "Come on then, let's get this over with."

Laughing weakly, Cali stepped forward and hugged him. John returned the affection, but while it otherwise would have been warm or kind, it was never anything but sad between the pair.

In two days, John would forget he had Cali as a friend or that she ever existed. It was a lonely life for them both, but it had to be. They weren't allowed to have connections to anyone without risking their lives.

When they parted, Cali gently touched John's cheek again. She leaned up and kissed his cheek tenderly.

"Be safe, John Constantine." She said when they parted.

"No promises, love." He replied. It was meant as a joke, but both knew it was more truth than anything.

She nodded heavily before remembering something. John watched Cali curiously as she retrieved a vile of some liquid and returned to his side.

"For Zed." She explained as she handed it over. "It should help with everything."

"Thanks." He said as he took it.

With another sad smile, John turned and left. Cali remained where she was until she heard the elevator's gate creak open on the ground floor and knew he was gone.


	9. Chapter 9

**This is the final chapter in this short story. I hope you guys have liked it thus far and let me know what you've thought. Thanks for reading!**

**Present Day:**

John had poured the vile of magic down Zed's throat hours ago. It woke her up quickly and the color poured back into them. Soon her eyes were the same honey brown they'd always been instead of brilliant white. He thanked Cali internally for whatever concoction she'd given him. It went to prove that his trust in her was warranted because he'd given the liquid to Zed without a second thought as to what it could possibly be.

The guys let her sleep for a few hours before heading out later in the day for Atlanta, but by nearly ten o'clock that night, with everything taken care of and a few hours of sleep under Chas's belt, they left.

With Zed taken care of and resting off the last of her possession, the three headed home before anything else could call them back. Chas drove, Zed slept curled up in the front seat and John was sprawled out in the back doing the same. The ordeal took more out of them than even they realized.

The two slept all through the day and most of the night. John was the first to rouse and offered to finish the drive so Chas could sleep and they didn't have to stop anywhere in the mean time.

They reached Atlanta by noon the following day. Traffic had been unnaturally good on their way through the passed few states, though John had a hand in that… a quick enchantment was all it took.

John and Chas told Zed she needed to stay with them until they were both sure she'd be alright. No matter how often she said she was fine, the bags under her eyes told them otherwise. Possession took a lot out of someone and being linked to a demon the moment they were excised was worse. Even though Cali's potion helped, John wanted to keep an eye on Zed until she looked as 'fine' as she claimed to be.

"So," Zed sighed heavily. Her voice still held some of the exhaustion he knew lingered. He glanced up from his books to let her know he heard her from her spot on the couch, but went back to reading regardless. "How long have you and Cali known each other?"

"Since '98." He answered.

Being awake, Zed was aware he shouldn't have been able to answer the question. Her brows came together curiously.

"I thought you weren't supposed to remember her?"

John exhaled his lungful of smoke and stamped out the cigarette butt in his ashtray.

"Not 'till sunrise."

"That's pretty specific." She teased lightly.

"Two days, that's the deal love." He replied.

"What's that mean, exactly?"

John sighed. He dropped the pencil he'd been using to copy a spell and finally looked up. Zed was leaning against the closest arm of the couch staring at him curiously through strands of her tousled hair.

"When I first met 'er, I may not've been as discreet as I should've been."

"You, not being discreet? _Nooo_." Zed openly mocked.

John rolled his eyes, but continued regardless.

"I brought to light that I was lookin' for her, so when everything was said and done, she compelled my memories."

"Compelled?"

"Compulsion is a nifty lil' trick vampires can do." He said nonchalantly. He'd explained it to her before, but it didn't seem her tired brain remembered. "They can make damn near anyone do anythin' they want."

"And that's what she did to you?" Zed asked, unable to hide a bit of the fear she felt at the declaration that vampires controlled people's minds. Again.

"Yeah." He nodded. "She made me forget we ever met."

"Why?"

"Habit, mostly." He said simply. "'Bout a year later, another job brought me and Chas back through Dallas. Run into 'er again, but obviously, I didn't much remember. I thought she was the one I's lookin' for so she had no choice but to 'break the spell' so-to-speak. After that, it became a bit of a tradition."

"But you guys are friends."

"Friends ain't got nothin' to do with it." He told her sadly. "It's better this way. For the both of us. Safer."

"And the two day thing?"

"Safeguard." He replied. John's eyes had gone back to his work giving Zed the chance to glance at her phone. It was 6:41 in the morning. The sun would officially rise in three minutes. She wanted to put the compulsion to the test. "If ever I come to Dallas again for work and need her help, she just says her little words and everything comes back. The two days means I can go 'bout my business, still use her as a contact, and not have to worry about comin' back for her to erase the memories again. Automated memory deletion, as it were."

He tried to sound callous and cold and it would have worked if he wasn't talking to a psychic who'd spent enough time around him to notice when he was hiding something. Reading people was something Zed was always able to do, but now she was simply better at it.

"Still," she said softly. She noticed him glance up briefly through his lashes, but keep his attention primarily on his work. "I can't imagine how lonely that has to be, making people you care about forget you even exist. You guys seem to get along really well. It's just… sad."

John's pencil slowed until it finally stopped in the middle of forming an I. He stared at the paper, but he didn't _see_ it. He was thinking about Cali. John hated forgetting. He hated not knowing he had another good friend he could trust. And he hated knowing that he was _going_ to forget. It was something incredibly uncomfortable to deal with, knowing he was going to lose the memories. The anticipation was worse than anything.

Like every other time, John replayed every warm memory of Cali he could before they would be whisked away into nothingness, forced to linger in a part of his brain he wasn't allowed to enter. It was one of those odd situations where he missed her without realizing it.

"Like I told you before," he began in a somber voice. Zed watched him, but held up her hand so she could watch the clock too. Less than a minute until sunrise. "Bein' friends don't matter. My friends never live long anyhow. The enemies I made in my life, the things they could do if they found out about her… It's just safer this way." He repeated. "It don't matter how much I want-"

John stopped talking abruptly and began scribbling. Zed waited for him to continue, but he didn't.

"How much you want, what?" Zed pressed. She was too enthralled with the conversation to let it lie.

John looked up with confusion written across his features.

"What, what?" he asked. As far as he was concerned, Zed started talking in the middle of a conversation he hadn't been a part of. "What are you goin' on about?"

Zed looked to her phone. 6:44. The sun had officially risen and with it, apparently John's memories had vanished. Zed wanted to test it.

"You were talking about Cali." She said bluntly.

John sighed heavily, dropped his shoulders and rolled his eyes to show his irritation with the ever present _Cali._

"I. Don't. Know. A. Bloody. Cali." He repeated for –what he thought- was the hundredth time. "Got it?"

"What are you talking about?" Zed pushed herself up to better looked at him. "We went to the bar."

"An' she never showed up." He replied easily. "Waited there for awhile, and the bird never showed. She don't exist, okay?"

Zed's features hadn't relaxed. She couldn't help but stare at John as though he'd lost his mind even though she'd been forewarned this would happen. Still, actually seeing it was staggering.

"Oi!" John called. He slipped his piece of paper into the spine of his book and stood. "Chas! Where are ya?!"

Zed watched John leave, turning in her seat to keep her eyes on him. He really didn't remember. They were in the middle of a conversation about the young woman, John in mid-sentence no less and then she was just gone. The only thing Zed could compare it to was someone shaking an etch-a-sketch. One second the image was there, the next it was gone like it'd never existed.

Sinking back into the soft leather couch again, Zed was reminded of just how lonely it truly must have been. She saw the practicality of it, true, but still… In their world, friends weren't common. She thought they would want to hang onto every one they got. Evidently not.

She pitied Cali more than John in the end. He seemed sad that he never got to remember her for long, true, but Cali had it worse in her mind. Cali had to walk around knowing that unless she spoke the words, John wouldn't know her from any other nameless woman on the street. How painful it must be to look into the eyes of someone you'd known for years, were close to and cared about, and see no hint of recognition looking back. It made Zed wonder briefly how many others were walking the world without memory of the vampire from Texas. Ten? Twenty? More?

Zed felt a chill at the isolation that surrounded Cali. Lonely didn't seem like a strong enough word anymore. John had it easy. He got to forget. But not Cali. She'd have to live lifetimes without a friend and after the things Zed gleaned from her in their brief contact, she knew how desperate the vampire was for some form of family.

A tear slid down her cheek. Zed sniffed and quickly wiped it away. There was nothing she could do about it, even if she wanted to. John said it himself. Without seeing or hearing Cali, the spell was cast and he'd be blank.

Awful...


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey guys. I figured I could write another little story. I'm just attaching this to my first one since I don't know how long it'll be and the first story was so short. I hope you like it. Let me know what you think!  
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**When Shadows Come Alive**

**Chapter 1**

Episode 5

John, Chas and Zed were in New Orleans. Another spot on the map had turned red and fresh, another blood spot that had life breathed back into it, which meant something horrible was happening.

Chas had settled in to his hotel and John and Zed were making themselves comfortable when Zed had another vision. John begrudgingly admitted there might be more happening in the iconic city than they originally thought. He wasn't overly enthused with it.

After calling their new cop friend and warning him of the wreck that was surely about to happen, the last thing John wanted to do was sleep. He was rife with nervous energy waiting for the inevitable. He felt so helpless in situations like that, when he knew there was nothing he could do, that the only thing he _could _do was drink.

"Have at it, love." He sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm gonna tie one on."

With a gruff sigh, and already digging into his pocket for his cigarettes, John headed towards the door. Zed watched from her spot near the elevator, her brows furrowed lightly. She saw the upset in his eyes and didn't want to leave him to himself. Forgetting the ghosts that seemed to be 'thinning the herd'; she knew trouble followed John wherever he went. If he didn't have supervision, chances were at the very least, John would end up in a bar fight.

He said nothing when he spotted her over his shoulder. John wasn't in the mood to say he wanted time alone only to have the stubborn Latina remain at his side no matter how hard he huffed and puffed.

A bar in the distance seemed to be calling his name. Not only was it one of the few that still allowed smoking within its walls, but he heard some rather seductive music coming from inside. While John was more of a punk rock fan, he could appreciate the blues. Sometimes, those old souls hit the nail on the head.

Zed followed John into the old bar. It was right in the middle of the Quarter, complete with its own balcony and the like set up for Mardi Gras, but the inside was simpler. Tables were dotted all around, the lights were dim and music filled the air along with a layer of smoke. Zed thanked whoever had the foresight to ensure the huge windows remained cracked at the least and the fans were on. It helped keep the smoke from settling right at head level.

It was karaoke night, but with a theme. The songs on the playlist were classic blues and soul. Some tunes were lively; others deep and mournful, but thankfully everyone who'd taken to the small stage in the corner of the bar had a voice that suited their song. John wasn't sure he was in the mood to listen to someone singing Muddy Waters when they sounded like a drowning animal.

Zed remained silent, sipping on her beer and enjoying her time while John brooded. Again, he knew something bad was going to happen, but Zed hadn't given him something overly useful, like a mile-marker sign. So he had to wait.

He threw back another shot and placed the cigarette to his lips again just as the current performer finished their song. Zed clapped. She thought the young man was rather good. When she noticed John wasn't, she didn't hesitate to elbow him in the arm. Grumbling under his breath, he let his cigarette hang limply from his lips and clapped heavily three or four times before pouring himself another drink. Zed rolled her eyes at him.

"_Okay!" _the MC announced from somewhere hidden away. Zed couldn't see him through the semi-crowded, smoky bar, but knew he was likely in some kind of DJ booth hidden away somewhere. "_Next up, we've got a recent favorite. Let's give it up for Cali Robertson singing Aretha Franklin's Chain of Fools."_

The crowd applauded, a few cheered as though they knew what was coming, but Zed paused at the familiar name. She stretched a bit from side to side to get a better view of the stage as a young woman took her stance in the lights. Zed felt her stomach drop along with her jaw.

"Oh my god." She mumbled.

John narrowed his eyes on her, nearly asking what bothered her so much, before letting his gaze follow her line of sight. He saw a young woman with long dark hair, fair skin tinted orange by the stage's lights and an all around alluring figure. A smirk touched his lips.

"So, _that's_ what tickles your fancy, hm?" he joked.

Zed's head shot to him. She hadn't removed the shock from her features, but he didn't notice as he tapped the edge of his cigarette against the ashtray.

"You…" Zed hesitated. She wanted to ask something she already knew the answer to and stopped herself beforehand. "Never mind."

"What? No witty retort?" he chuckled dryly. "You're losin' your touch."

"Shut up." She said. Zed swung her hand backwards and barely connected it with his gut. She was too busy watching the young woman sing. "I know her."

John's taunting smile faded. His head tilted marginally to the side and his curiosity began to take hold. Zed never admitted to knowing anyone, ever. The thought she might have a friend somewhere and not only that, but someone who might be able to tell him a thing or two about the woman with no past, dominated his mind.

"Do you now?" he asked leadingly and primarily to himself. Zed's focus was still elsewhere. "That's interesting."

John's attention soon shifted from Zed to the woman on stage. He barely listened to her singing. He was too busy inspecting the one who knew the enigma Zed, not even assuming he might have his own past with her.

She smiled wide as she sang –keeping relatively close to Aretha's incredible voice- and danced happily along with the music. She was attractive and didn't look much older than Zed. Hell, she even looked a few years younger.

When the song began to wind down, Zed didn't hesitate to stand. She hastily slid out of her seat and began towards the one she called friend just as she was leaving the stage. Drinking the last of his shot and stubbing out his cigarette, John soon followed suit. He felt like he might have a mystery that could possibly be solved sooner than his ghost problem.

Zed wove through the tables and people standing. She kept Cali in her line of sight as she nudged through the bodies that seemed immobile. She had to be sure. She had to be.

"A shot of Jameson, if you would please." Cali said to the bartender when she reached it.

The young man nodded and slipped away to pour her drink. She was still which gave Zed the chance to catch up with her.

"That was great. I didn't know you could sing like that." She said.

"Thanks." Cali replied before she turned. "I appreciate-" she froze mid-sentence when she spotted the young woman at her side. It looked as though she lost a shade or two of color. "Zed?"

"How's it going, Cali?" Zed asked with a smirk.

"How… what… Oh god," Cali mumbled. "Tell me John's not-"

"Weeelll," John smiled as he slid close to the two. "Who's this now? You got a new friend, Zed?"

A smile had formed on Zed's lips when she first reached Cali, but seemed to grow the moment John made himself known. She wanted to see how the situation would play out. It was too intriguing for her not to. She expected to see something, a spark of recognition from John, a hint of hesitation from Cali, but she hadn't. To her surprise, it was disturbingly normal.

"I'm Cali," she introduced herself to John without a break in conversation and even offered her hand to the Brit. "Nice to meet you."

"And you, Cali." He smiled. John took her hand and kissed her knuckles as charmingly as he could muster. "Constantine. John, Constantine."

Cali nodded with a kind smile before turning her attention back to Zed.

"So, what brings you here?" she asked the psychic.

Zed's eyes had bounced between the two having the conversation. She felt like her brain might explode. The situation she found herself in was too unbelievable. She was standing with two people who'd just introduced themselves to one another despite having met nearly twenty years prior. But it was like a blank slate. She'd only barely seen the effects of the 'mind wipe' once before, but this… this was intense.

"Zed?"

Hearing her name again forced the young woman to realize it was her turn to contribute to the conversation.

"Oh, uh," she stammered slightly. "Ghosts."

John's jaw tensed and he eyed Zed sternly, but she either didn't notice or didn't care. Honestly, it could've been both.

"In New Orleans, yeah." Cali laughed. "I'd imagine there are a few unsettled spirits roaming around here."

John's expression soon shifted from irritation with Zed to stunned shock at Cali. She hadn't missed a beat, joining right in on the conversation like it was about anything else.

"So what then," John said to Cali. "You psychic too?"

"Oh sweetheart," she smiled, cooing the phrase like she was speaking to a child. "I'm so much more complicated than that."

John smiled to her. It was his charming, flirting smirk that he'd used on a thousand different women a thousand different times. Zed couldn't fight her giggle. It was too amazing. He had no idea who Cali was, none, and he'd known her longer than almost anyone.

"This is so weird." Zed mumbled with a smile, drawing the others' eyes in the process. She looked at Cali. "Why don't you just-"

"_Because he doesn't need me to."_ Cali interrupted, speaking fluent and fluid Spanish.

The shift in languages surprised both beside her, but only one understood the statement.

"_Why?"_ Zed asked, continuing with the Spanish without meaning to.

"_Because it doesn't matter. He doesn't need to know we have a past."_

Zed's brows came together again. She looked at Cali sadly. While John didn't understand fluent Spanish, he knew bits and pieces. It was hard for him to follow the entire conversation, but he was more than capable of gleaning some bits through Zed's emotional shift.

"_Doesn't that get lonely though? Making people forget about you all the time."_

Cali offered nothing in the ways of an answer, only a soft smile and a weak shrug. Zed wanted to keep pressing, but Cali interrupted her first.

"So, how long are you going to be in town then?" she asked.

"Uh," Zed looked to John which forced Cali to do the same.

John's eyes had been and remained narrowed skeptically on the fair-skinned stranger. She simply waited for his answer, staring at him with wide, innocent, and brilliantly green eyes.

"Have we met before?" he asked before he could stop himself. "I swear, I think I know you from somewhere."

Cali laughed delicately and shook her head.

"I doubt it." She said much to Zed's surprise. "I guess I've just got one of those faces."

John smiled and nodded sarcastically. He didn't believe her and it was obvious she and Zed were hiding something.

"Right." He mumbled in response. "Well, we'll be headin' out when this spectral problem is resolved."

"What about you?" Zed asked Cali.

"Just the week. I come to New Orleans to unwind a bit." She replied. "That being said," Cali turned enough to notice her drink had been set on the bar awhile ago. She drank it in one swift gulp before digging into her pocket for cash. "I think I'm going to call it a night." She put 10$ on the bar. "Be safe, while you're here." She looked at John. "Pleasure meeting you, Mr. Constantine."

He gave her a curt nod, Zed still looked at her sadly, but neither said anything as Cali walked away.

It wasn't long after that Zed wanted to call it a night too. She was a bit tired and after seeing Cali, she wanted to tell Chas. She wisely hadn't said anything in front of John. Zed knew the Brit was at least smart enough to suspect something being pulled over his eyes if Cali knew both Zed and Chas, but not him.

With her gone, John was left to his own devices. The impending wreck took the back burner when it came to the stranger Cali. He felt that, while she might not have been a worthwhile mystery, she was one he could solve. Perhaps it was just his paranoid nature that made him immediately distrustful of anyone Zed claimed to know. Or, it just as easily could have been his need to learn more about his newest compatriot. Whatever the reason, it prompted him to steal the ten dollar bill she'd thrown onto the bar and replace it with one of his own. He needed something she had in her possession for a location spell.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 2**

John followed the bill's instructions. He held it in the palm of his hand, open and unfolded. The bill was like the needle of a compass, pointing out the direction he needed to travel.

It led him through the streets and towards a building that rented out its rooms not too far from the bar. A lot of people who owned property on the Quarter tended to rent out rooms to travelers because they could charge damn near whatever they wanted to the tourists who wanted the experience. It was one of those buildings he found himself walking to.

With a simple flick of the wrist and deployment of his lock-pick set, John was in the building and again following the lead of the ten dollar bill. He paid it more attention than where he was going and nearly stumbled up the steps as a result.

Finally, he came to the door that his target seemed to reside behind. The bill spun fluidly in his hand alerting him to his arrival. With a proud smile, John shoved the money into his pocket and knocked heavily on the door. He didn't bother caring about the hour.

Training his ear for footsteps, John was surprised to see the door open first. He had expected to hear her advance, especially when the floors were aged and warped wood, but it was as though she glided to the door.

"Yes?" she asked politely.

"Hello again." He greeted. "Did I… interrupt something?"

John looked her up and down and noticed her wardrobe had changed significantly. Cali was no longer wearing jeans and a stylish top. Instead, she answered the door in a pair of cotton shorts, a thinly strapped shirt and her hair tied up into a loose bun that wobbled from side to side whenever she tilted her head. It was clear she was getting ready for bed.

"Not really." She replied in the same care-free tone. "There something I can help you with Mr. Constantine?"

"Yeah. It alright if I come inside for a moment?"

"Of course."

Cali stepped to the side and held the door open for him. John sauntered passed her and into the living area of the small apartment she was renting for her week in NOLA. When he heard the door close behind him, he spun leisurely on his heel to face her.

Silence moved between them for a moment or two. Cali stood simply, leaning against the door with her arms crossed over her chest and on foot propped up behind her. It caused John to narrow his eyes skeptically for a moment.

"Not gonna bother askin' how I found you?" he asked after a while.

"Don't really need to." She replied simply. "You're a bit iconic, Mr. Constantine."

"John, please." He said with a smirk. "All the pretty girls can call me John." She smiled softly and nodded. "So, iconic?"

"Blond hair, crooked smile, English accent, trench coat. Then of course, there is the name."

"So, that's how ya figure I found ya."

She nodded.

"Right then, so who does that make you, hm?" he asked. The sarcasm came again and while it was mixed with a bit of flirting, John always kept the sarcasm. "How is it you know our good friend Zed and don't bat a lash when she mentions ghosts, or me showin' up at your doorstep?"

"I'm just me."

"Yeah, that ain't good enough." His voice turned a little clipped. "Way I see it, you're either a witch, psychic, or possibly a demon."

"A demon, am I?" she asked with a hint of a smile and mild surprise on her features. "Do I look like a demon?"

"Love," he sighed. John shifted his weight on his feet and buried his hands into his pockets as he squared himself on her. "You wouldn't be the first demon I met that snuggled up in a pretty little package."

She cocked a brow, which wasn't the response John expected. He took a deep breath and sighed heavily when she didn't give him a verbal answer.

"Alright then," he replied. John held out his hands and closed his eyes. "Exorcizamus te omnis immundus spiritus-"

"Omnis satanica potestas," she continued sarcastically. "Omnis incursio infernalis adversarii."

John eyed her. He wanted to be irritated she interrupted him, but it was a little difficult.

"I'm not possessed by a demon, John." She told him, still wearing her smile. "And your Latin's a bit rusty."

He gave her a derisive grin.

"Well, ain't you just full of surprises." He mumbled under his breath.

"I try." She replied with the same about of sarcasm. "Besides, what are women if not enigmas?"

"A growing pain in my ass, it seems."

Cali laughed. She couldn't help it. It was obvious John hadn't even meant to say the sentence out loud which only made it funnier. The reaction was so disarming however, that John was at a temporary loss.

When her fit of laughter finally ebbed, Cali noticed his confused expression. It was a bit endearing.

"Can I pour you a drink, John?" she asked.

His brows came together. The request was as unexpected as the laughter, but his body seemed to know what it wanted to do. He nodded before he realized it. Cali walked further into the room and began to pour them something to drink.

She was delighting in the way he was acting. Cali wasn't offended in the least. She knew John, and knew him well, even though he didn't remember her. She missed him and wanted to spend a bit of time with the Brit, even if it was under the guise of being a stranger.

She handed off the spare drink to John and moved towards her couch. It wasn't long until he followed her. Cali said nothing for a moment. She only looked at him over the rim of her glass as she took a sip.

"So," she said as she adjusted herself. Cali pulled a leg up onto the couch and leaned against the back to look at the man at her side. "The reason you're here?"

"Right," he mumbled to himself. John took a long drink and finished what she'd given him. Undeterred, Cali leaned over and grabbed the bottle from the coffee table. She filled his drink again without having to be asked. "You know Zed then?"

"A bit." She nodded.

"Well, somethin' tells me that's a sight better than me."

"I doubt it." She smiled kindly. "I've only known her for a few short months. Only met her once before this, actually."

"You seem to have made an impression then."

"A fleeting one, perhaps."

He chuckled lightly to himself and shook his head. He wasn't sure how to proceed with the situation. He'd gone there with intent, but Cali's calmness and seeming readiness to answer his questions made him a bit uncomfortable.

"I doubt that." He replied. John found his footing somewhere in his flirting. If anything, it gave him the chance to ask probing questions and seem charming.

"Truth is, not many people remember me."

"Now, I know that's bullshit."

The smile on her lips turned sad as she looked over John's face. Cali leaned against the back of the couch again and propped her head in her hand.

"The truth is its better that way." She told him. Her eyes gently trailed down to her drink. She swirled the remaining liquid around briefly before adding, "Safer."

John didn't immediately speak. Instead, he felt a pit grow in his gut and lamented it.

"I know what you mean." He mumbled. And he did. He wished so many times that he could've made people forget they ever met him.

"Not many understand it." She said. Cali looked up and noticed him reluctantly meeting her gaze. "But with lives such as ours, being forgotten is the only way sometimes. Sometimes… it's better that we live in the shadows."

John felt himself slowly beginning to nod. He didn't know he was doing it, but he was lost in her words. They struck a chord with him; plucked a familiar emotion he hated above all others. Guilt was something that once it infected you, it was damn hard to get rid of. And he swam in it.

The pair found themselves slipping into silence. John was sinking deeper and deeper into his own world the longer he stared into her ice blue eyes. They were so bright and clear that they were mildly hypnotic.

Cali remained silent because she was more inspecting the psychic than anything. She could see his soul had aged since the last time she saw him. That's what eyes were, right? Windows to the soul. And his was tired if not breaking. It hurt her to see him like that, but she didn't say anything about it. There would have been no point. It wasn't as though whatever she said was going to stop him from working. If Newcastle couldn't, nothing would.

John felt himself lean closer to Cali whether he meant to or not. Like the nodding, his body seemed more than willing to move without his mind's permission. But she noticed and she noticed where the situation seemed to be heading.

"Perhaps," she whispered when he got closer. "You should go."

"You're prob'ly right." He said though he made no action to move. Still he leaned a bit closer.

"I'm not the kind of girl you'd want to be involved with."

"That so?"

She slowly nodded. In some ways, Cali knew she might have been taking advantage of John's ignorance, but it wasn't as though they hadn't crossed that particular bridge before throughout their friendship. So when John leaned close enough to kiss her, she put up no resistance. In fact, she helped close the distance.

John's fingers threaded themselves through her loosely tied hair and pulled her close so her chest could touch his. While they kissed, they maneuvered themselves, sliding down onto the couch so John was on top of her. Cali felt his free hand trail up her side while she gripped the edge of his trench coat and began to push it off.

Their actions began to turn frantic as the desire to touch someone else became overwhelming. John nipped at Cali's neck. She gasped softly. When his trench coat was on the floor, Cali combed her fingers through his hair. He bit her neck again and her grip tensed forcing him to groan. She smiled to herself and bit her lip before scrambling to get more of his clothing off.

They pawed at one another, groped and tried to remove bits of clothes. When Cali began to undo John's tie, her mind flashed with a brief glimpse of clarity. In it, she realized what she was doing. Maybe a one night stand would have been fun, but not now. Besides, it wouldn't have been that to her, only him and somehow that made her feel cheap. Growling to herself, Cali knew what she had to do.

"Wait," she breathed. John either didn't hear her or was too consumed to realize she'd spoken. "Wait," she repeated a bit stronger than before.

The second time she spoke, Cali moved. She slid out from under John before he could fathom the action. Breathing heavily, he found himself staring at the tattered upholstery of the couch instead of the woman who'd once been there. When he rolled his head to the side, he saw her standing a few feet away with a hand on her hip, the other on her forehead and trying to steady her breath.

"Slippery little minx, aren't ya?" he muttered primarily to himself as he sat up. He took a deep breath and sighed. "Was it somethin' I said?" he asked with a hint of sarcasm.

Cali turned to look at him. He was at least relieved to see her as flustered as him. It helped heal a bit of his hurt pride.

"I'm not the kind of girl you want to be doing this with." She said simply. "You should probably go before you do something you'll regret."

Still breathing a bit heavily though calming, John narrowed his eyes on the young woman trying to avoid his gaze.

"There a husband or boyfriend I got to be worryin' about walkin' through that door?" he asked, thinking that had to be the reason for her apprehension.

Cali scoffed and laughed lightly to herself.

"Hardly," she mused before seriousness took over again. "But that doesn't mean this is a good idea, either."

John didn't seem to agree with her random and cryptic explanation, but he knew better than to try and force something despite the fact he felt they could've had fun if she only loosened up. So, he stood, gathered himself and headed towards the door. He gave her a parting farewell before leaving completely.

Once he was gone, Cali was able to breathe easier. That shouldn't have happened. It was fun, but it still shouldn't have happened.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 3**

Cali was walking through the Quarter the following afternoon when her phone rang. She reached for it and answered without glancing at the caller.

"Hello?" she greeted simply.

"_Cali, it's Chas."_ A familiar voice said. Her stomach sank.

"Hey Chas." She said. She tried to hide her disappointment but wasn't sure she succeeded. "What can I do for you?"

"_John's been arrested."_

"Yeah well, I'm not entirely surprised by that."

"_I was hoping you might be able to get him out?"_ he asked with skeptical optimism. "_Our Bail Fund is lower than I thought."_

"He been getting arrested more than usual lately?" she teased. She heard him chuckle on the other end of the line, but not offer an answer. "I don't know if I should get involved."

"_He's already seen you."_ Chas replied. "_You might as well let him know you're here."_

Cali didn't immediately speak. She wanted to tell Chas that it broke her heart every time she made John remember. She wanted to tell him that she hated knowing he was going to forget her again and continue looking at her like a stranger. And she wanted to tell him that it chipped away a little bit at her self whenever she was forced to watch someone's eyes glaze over as every memory of her was erased.

"I'll see what I can do." She finally said despite herself.

Chas thanked her and hung up while Cali immediately kicked herself for offering. Her trip to New Orleans was meant to go unnoticed. It was meant to be her vacation away from everything, but it didn't seem to be going that way.

~!~

Ignoring everyone speaking to her, Cali walked through the police station and straight for the back room. She threw open the door to a stunned John and cop. The men eyed her curiously but only one recognized her.

"Who the hell are you?" Jim demanded. He gently began to shove the pictures back into a single pile so she couldn't see them.

"He's coming with me." She told him simply.

"He's not leaving until I say he is."

"Is he being charged?" she continued with mild irritation.

Corrigan didn't speak which was all the answer she needed. Still, he didn't look as though he was willing to let John go. John remained silent during the exchanged. He was too confused by Cali's sudden appearance.

Determined to leave the station as soon as possible, Cali stepped closer to Jim and closed the distance between them. She made sure she had his gaze before speaking.

"I'm taking him out of here." She said sternly. "And you're not going to stop us because you're dropping whatever ridiculous charges you're trying to file against him. Do you understand me?" Jim nodded heavily. "Say it."

"I understand." He replied loftily.

"Good." Cali released Jim from her gaze and looked over his shoulder to John. "Let's go."

"Actually love, we're right in the middle-"

"Now." She snapped.

John cocked a brow, but despite his desire to be defiant, there was something oddly commanding about her demand. Gathering his things, John soon followed Cali out of the interrogation room.

He followed her in silence until they were out of the station, but that was where his compliance ended.

"Look," John said as he grabbed her arm and stopped their jaunt once they were away from the station's doors. "Not that I'm ungrateful for this love, but how's 'bout you start tellin' me a story, hm?"

She said nothing as a brow slowly rose. He narrowed his eyes in irritation the longer she went without speaking.

"This ain't addin' up," he said darkly. "Which makes me a bit twitchy."

"I just got you out of jail." She said simply. "Try not to read too much into it. Now, where the hell do I need to take you?"

Cali didn't like being pulled back into his world. She could've easily told him who she was and given his memories back. Everything would've been easier, but she didn't want to. Knowing he'd forget her again was just a hair worse than him looking at her like a distrustful stranger.

And that was how he saw her. She could tell. After her barging in on him in the Interrogation Room, and after last night, John was looking at Cali like he knew there was more than meets-the-eye with her. He felt like he had to keep the 'stranger' close. He needed more time to figure her out.

"I need to have a bit of a talk with someone." He finally said. His skepticism infected his voice as much as his eyes. "You up for a road trip, love?"

Cali hesitated to answer. She simply stared back at the blond while she thought. She wanted to tell him no and leave, but clearly the idiot couldn't be left alone. He'd already pissed off local law enforcement –not anything new to be sure- but that meant he was on their radar. To people like them, being noticed could be dangerous.

"Fine." She grumbled.

Without another word, she turned and headed towards her car with the Brit in toe.

~!~

John spoke with Tammy while Cali lingered on the main floor of the Animal Clinic. She paid the pair passing attention while she was on the phone with Chas.

"_Just stick with him._" He breathed. He neglected to tell her he'd been stabbed and killed by the focus of John's questions, but she could tell he'd been through something. "_Make sure he stays out of trouble."_

"When you say things like that, it makes me wonder if you've ever met him." She replied sarcastically. She heard him chuckle on the other end, but didn't share the sentiment. Cali glanced up from her seat and noticed john and Tammy coming down the stairs back to the main floor. "He's already suspicious of me following him around."

"_Why don't you just remind him?"_ Chas asked with a sigh.

She hesitated to answer, but eventually felt the words slip from her lips.

"You don't understand what it's like, Chas." She mumbled softly.

"_What do you mean?"_

"It gets a little harder every time because I know he's going to end up forgetting me again." She sighed under her breath. "It's just easier if he thinks we never knew each other in the first place."

She heard Chas sigh on the other end of the line, but he didn't speak. He understood why she and John agreed to the memory wipe in the first place. It made sense. It was smart, but it was a bit sad too. And he hated making her stay around John when he didn't know who she was; especially when the two were such close friends in the first place, but he didn't trust John alone at the moment. After all, he'd already been arrested within 24 hours of their arrival.

"_Okay,"_ he finally said. "_Just keep an eye on him if you can, please?"_

"Sure." She nodded. "Be careful."

"_Yeah."_

The two said their farewell. When she hung up and turned, Cali jumped slightly. Somehow, John had snuck up behind her. He was staring at her blankly as though he was still trying to determine whether or not she was trustworthy. Cali was just curious about what he'd overheard.

"Find anything out?" she asked, ignoring the fact he was listening to her conversation.

"A bit." He replied. "Tell me love, what do ya know about voodoo?"

Her face dropped which was the right response. He might not know what to think about her, but she was at least intelligent enough to recognize the danger with the Voodoo King.

"Maybe it'd be good if you don't follow me on this particular venture, hm?" he told her with his usual tone of sarcasm. "Besides, and I can't really stress this part enough darlin', I don't trust you."

She cocked a single brow, but remained silent. Instead, she stepped aside and waved her hand as though presenting him with the chance to leave without her. John gave Cali another curt smirk before walking on without her. She rolled her eyes once he was gone.

"Idiot." She mumbled as she exited the clinic.

~!~

Cali spent her night doing something she never thought she would, but was also amazed she hadn't done it before. She got a tattoo. She got a pair, in fact, as protection against magic. She was surprised she hadn't done it before considering what she was and how easy certain sorcerers could influence her, but it did have a side-effect. Instant healing was something not many artists were familiar with.

As she had, Cali sought out John. It was harder than she expected, but she managed once she found the Voodoo King. Midnite didn't seem to care he had the Brit in the trunk of his car. Cali would have gotten him out, but she honestly thought he deserved a bit of it. John wasn't known for tact, so she was sure Midnite had a reason for it. But she followed the pair and stayed close just in case.

She watched from the distance as they worked their spell and settled the spirits that were plaguing the city. Slowly, those gathered began to disappear leaving Midnite and John alone. Cali continued to watch from the shadows. With Zed now gone and Chas nowhere to be seen, she couldn't leave the idiot behind. She knew his history with Midnite and wasn't above spying on their conversation either.

As he promised, Midnite ensured their truce was finished the moment the scotch in John's glass was gone. When he snatched John's glass away and retreated towards the back of his home, Midnite sensed something. He gently set the glasses down, but kept his eyes focused on the distance. Something was… off.

"What is it?" John asked when he noticed the Voodoo King's behavior. "What do you see?"

"We are not alone." Midnite muttered. He took slow steps forward. "Come out!" he yelled. "You cannot hide from me!"

Cali sighed, but decided she might as well make herself known. She didn't need the voodoo man getting overzealous in search of an intruder. So she began to take steps out of the shadows and towards the pair. She walked casually which annoyed Midnite. But he wasn't the one she was looking at. She stared at John who seemed more than a little angry she was the one hiding.

"Well, well, well," John sighed in irritation. "Look who it is. You followin' me, love?"

"Yes." She answered freely. "Clearly, you have no idea how to take care of yourself."

"You two know each other?" Midnite asked skeptically.

"Not really, no, but she seems to be a bit of a shadow." John replied. "It's the _why_ I'm not to sure about."

"When it's the _what_ ya should be more worried 'bout." Midnite said as he began to pace around the young woman.

"What?" John asked curiously.

The Voodoo shaman kept his eyes on Cali and his face twisted into a grimace as he examined her. She said nothing, nor tried to stop him, she was simply annoyed by the action. Instead, she kept her gaze on John while he smoked a cigarette until she saw Midnite out of the corner of her eye. When he appeared, she met his stare without blinking.

"You are either very brave or very stupid to come 'round here." Midnite told her before growling, "_Vampire."_

"Congratulations." She replied sarcastically. "You've been able to discern something I wasn't bothering to hide."

"You're a bloody vampire?!" John bellowed angrily. His dealings with vampires –as far as he remembered- had never been anything but violent and horrible so to hear she was one was understandably disturbing.

"Clever, aren't you?" she asked him teasingly. "And don't try it Midnite."

She gripped the hem of her shirt and pulled it up high enough to reveal the entirety of her side. A long line of words in another language was tattooed down her side from ribcage to hip.

"Protection spell." Midnite grumbled under his breath.

Cali dropped her shirt and gave him a curt smile.

"No necromancy from you voodoo priest." She told him. "Now then," Before Cali could speak her phone range. To both men's shock, she held up a finger and answered it as though she weren't in the tense situation she found herself in. "Yeah?" she kept her hand up telling them she'd need a moment. "Yeah, I'm here with him right now." Her eyes shifted to John who found himself glaring at her. "He's fine. Does this mean I can leave now? I am on vacation." She paused again as whoever she was speaking to replied. "Alright. Yeah, no problem. I'll talk to you later."

Hanging up her phone, Cali gave the two men a short, unaffectionate smile before turning to leave without giving either of them a chance to say anything to her. John watched her disappear at her own leisure which brought him new levels of irritation. He couldn't help but clench his jaw at the stranger who'd somehow entwined herself in his life. No one ever did that if they could help it which made him question her motives.

~!~

Cali unlocked the door to her rental and stepped inside. It was after one in the morning by the time she finally went home which didn't bother her at all. It was her last night in the city and she wanted to spend at least half of it not stalking John.

The moment she closed the door behind her, before she could turn around and turn the lights on, Cali heard something sail through the air. She spun on her heel and caught the projectile.

"Ow, shit!" she hissed the instant she touched the object.

Cali dropped it immediately. The thin chunk of wood landed on the floor with little more than a soft clank. Narrowing her eyes curiously, Cali noticed it was an arrow. No sooner than the thought crossed her mind, another was sent in her direction. She was too distracted to stop the second on.

"Ah!" Cali cried out as it slammed into her shoulder.

She twisted and grabbed the shaft to yank it out. Without warning another arrow slammed into her but this time it pinned her to the door behind her, and rendered her free arm all but useless. The arrows stung. They made her head spin and her body ache and that was without the added bonus of them being wood. They were soaked in something and it didn't take her long to realize what.

Holy water coursed through her veins. It felt like acid, but the wood embedded in her body kept her from reacting too swiftly. Vampires were –for lack of a better term- allergic to wood. It slowed them down and made them sluggish. It was as though the element zapped every ounce of energy from their body which would make sense. It was Nature's twisted joke on the undead. It meant any human could overpower a vampire just so long as they shot them with a sliver of wood. It'd give almost anyone a better chance to stake a vampire through the heart, and that's what frightened Cali.

She reached for one of the arrows and wrapped her hand around the shaft to pull it out, but the holy water kept her from getting a decent grip. The liquid stung and forced her skin to sizzle on contact. She bit down on her bottom lip and tried to gather her strength once more when she heard footsteps. Cali looked up and noticed something she never wanted to see.

John emerged from the shadows with a crossbow hanging at his side. A cigarette hung from his lips, a thin trail of smoke billowing from the red tip and his head tilted to the side as he continued to stare at her indifferently. It was actually a bit terrifying. She'd never seen him look at her like that before and it frightened her.

"John," she breathed groggily. "What the hell-"

"You see," he interrupted. "What I can't understand is why you've been following me around."

"Seriously?" she snapped angrily. "So you break in and shoot me to find out?"

John said nothing. He tossed the crossbow aside. The sound it made when it hit the ground made Cali jump despite knowing it was coming. With his free hand jammed in his pocket, he approached her.

"I don't trust strangers." He said as though she hadn't spoken at all. John finally came to a stop barely a foot from her. "And I sure as hell don't trust vampires. So, that's two strikes right there, love. And then ya been followin' me all day. Well, that'd be strike three. I'm pretty sure in the States, that means you're out."

"You don't know what you're talking about." She growled through her teeth. "You need to let me go before you do something you're going to-"

Cali was immediately silenced when she felt something pierce her chest. Her mouth hung slack and her eyes were wide. She felt the stake he had hidden slide into her torso and inch closer to her heart. She panted and struggled to catch a breath while John continued to eye her suspiciously. His right hand held the stake in place and his left wrapped around her throat to hold her head back in case she chose to try and bite.

"Now then," he said in a dangerously calm voice. "You're gonna start talkin' before my hand slips."

"John," she gasped. "Stop…"

He twisted the stake and inched it further causing Cali to cry out. She slammed her eyes shut and tried to ignore the pain, but it was all consuming.

John didn't care anymore that she was pretty. He didn't care that they'd fooled around the night before and he certainly didn't care she got him out of jail either.

By nature, John Constantine was a paranoid man. He couldn't afford not to be when he lived the life he had. He was skeptical of every new face, of every supposed friend. Hell, there were people John had known for years he still didn't completely trust, so he felt he was right in what he was doing. After all, you had to look at it from his point of view.

Cali was a friend of Zed's (as far as he knew). Zed was someone even John barely knew which meant he was even more skeptical of her 'friends'. Cali gave him cryptic answers whenever he asked her a direct question. She magically shows up at the police station and gets him out when his friends were the ones who were meant to. She had evidently been following him at the behest of someone else and was only revealed by Midnite and to make matters worse, she wasn't even human. There was so much in the Cons section of the list, John wasn't sure there would be any Pros to convince him she wasn't a possible threat.

"Who do you work for?" he asked finally.

"John, stop." Cali breathed. She was losing her fight for consciousness the closer he shoved the stake into her chest.

He growled and tightened his grip on her throat. He even twisted the stake again which forced her to take in a sharp breath.

"Who do you work for?" he repeated, swearing the vampire had to be associated with someone evil or even the Rising Darkness.

"H…" she knew she only had seconds to say the magic words, but it was taking more strength than she realized, strength she wasn't sure she had. "He…"

John narrowed his eyes and leaned forward.

"What?" he asked. He loosened his hold on her throat slightly.

"Hell…" Cali was trying her hardest to get the two simple words out. Her body was racked with pain, her mind fading and the stake in her chest was taking every hint of energy she had. She was about to pass out and she knew it. She had to get the words out first. "Hello," Cali began to pant lightly as he tried to get enough breath in her lungs to speak. Calling on every remaining ounce of strength she had left, Cali managed to whisper, "Hello sweetheart." He head fell and her world went black around her.

John felt the familiar whoosh of memories swarm his mind. In an instant he recognized the young woman he was holding.

"Jesus Christ!" he exclaimed.

John took wide steps away from the bloody scene as his mind tried to catch up with what was happening. His eyes fell to Cali still pinned to the door, but hanging limply. The arrow was barely holding her up now that her knees held no strength and began to splinter. He couldn't believe his eyes. From each shoulder protruded an arrow and a stake half embedded in her chest. All of the wounds were bleeding and all of it was his doing.

"Oh my god," he breathed.

He was in so much shock John barely had time to catch Cali when the arrow keeping her against the door snapped and her body crumbled to the floor.

"Cali," he said. John gently tapped her cheek until he realized she wouldn't be able to wake with the wood still in her body. Working quickly, John gripped the hilt of each arrow and the stake and yanked them out of her, each with their own gut wrenching pop. "Cali darlin'," he tapped her cheek again. His brows came together. "Come on love, wake up."

But she didn't move.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 4**

John did his best to cradle Cali in his lap. He shook her, said her name and even slapped her a few times to try and rouse her, but nothing worked. He only had one chance left.

Reaching into his trouser pocket, John pulled out a knife. He opened it and didn't hesitate to slice the sharpened blade across his left palm. The wound bled and bled fast. Dropping the knife, he adjusted Cali's head so he could gently press his bleeding palm to her lips.

"Come on," he growled.

John was consumed with guilt and anger, anger at not only himself, but Cali as well. All she had to do was say the damn words and none of this would've happened.

"How could you be so _bloody_ stupid woman?" he hissed angrily. Blaming her was easier than blaming himself. "Now drink."

His hand continued to bleed into her mouth, but it took far too long for him to get any kind of reaction from her. Eventually, after thinking he'd caused irreparable damage to her, Cali began to show signs of life.

The veins around her eyes started to protrude and her sockets grew darker. Her skin shifted shades just a hint, but enough he could see it. Before he could be relieved she wasn't dead, he felt her fangs pierce his hand. She bit down on him forcing the Brit to hiss through his teeth.

"For the love of…" he grumbled to himself. John didn't speak out against what she was doing because he knew she needed it, but that didn't mean he was entirely happy with it either.

Cali drank for a moment or two before releasing her hold on his hand. She rolled out of his lap and onto her hands and knees before pushing herself to her feet. Cali kept her back to him while she inspected herself to ensure the wounds had indeed healed.

"Cali," John finally said after a few moments of nothing. "Are you-"

She spun around faster than he could comprehend and landed a sharp slap across his cheek. The action was so quick that it took him awhile to notice anything had happened at all. But, once the fire started to throb in his cheek, John realized what she'd done.

"_Bloody_ hell Cali," he snapped. He looked back at the woman with his blood smeared across her face. "I think you've broken my jaw."

"Don't' be so dramatic." She sighed under her breath. "You deserve worse for that stunt."

She tugged at her clothes to see the damage left behind.

"Really John? A crossbow? A _stake?!"_

"You're just as much to blame, love." He shot back. "You could've said somethin' outright, before it got this far."

"What I should do is-" she stopped herself from saying anything too bad. Instead she glared angrily at him. "Give me your hand."

She didn't give John the chance to act on his own. Instead, she snatched his injured hand and held it tight. Shifting her features again, Cali bit into her own hand and drew a substantial amount of blood before taking hold of John's injured one. She made sure their wounds connected. He struggled against her briefly, but both of them knew this was the best way to heal him. After all, in his hast, he'd cut deeper than he meant to.

After a minute, maybe two, she let go and even went so far as to shove it back at him. It was clear she was still a bit agitated with the way he'd chosen to handle things. John looked to his hand. It was saturated in blood, but once he wiped it away, he was able to watch the wounds both of them had produced stitch themselves shut.

"Thanks." He mumbled under his breath. He felt she deserved the gratitude all things considered. "Now-"

Before he could finish the statement, Cali slapped him once again.

"Christ," he growled loudly. "Enough Cali, yeah?"

"The arrows I can forgive, but a stake John? Really?"

"The hell was I supposed to do, hm?" he snapped. "I didn't know who you was. You're the one who could've ended it with two little words."

"Don't spin this around on me." She shot back. The two were yelling at each other. "Do you have any idea what a stake feels like when you're something like me? Huh?! It's the same as jamming a red-hot poker into your gut."

"You was a vampire followin' me 'round all day! How the hell ya think I'm going to act? You should've just-"

"I was hoping I wouldn't have to this time." She interrupted sternly. "I just wanted to be another faceless person in the crowd. I didn't want to make you remember me."

His brows came together as he stared at her with a slack jaw. John wasn't entirely certain how he was meant to proceed with that bit of information. She made it sound like she'd rather him not know they were friends in any capacity.

"What?" he managed to say.

Cali soon shared his saddened look. She sighed and her head dropped. She ran her fingers through her hair and grumbled when it stuck to the blood she hadn't wiped away yet. She wondered how awful she must have looked at that moment, but not so much she felt like cleaning up. With their current topic of conversation, the fact she was covered in their blood didn't even rank top 50.

"You get to forget, John. I don't." she finally admitted. "You have no idea what it's like knowing that in no time you're going to be less than a memory. I don't like being forgotten, so I flirted and joked and tried to stay at arm's length because at least then you'd have some memory of me. It wouldn't be much, but it'd be something." John felt his stomach drop. "Because now… when you leave, I'll disappear again. The bar… my apartment… all of it, gone."

"But that's not how it's s'posed to be. I'm just supposed to forget after you wake me up…" he hesitated when she didn't immediately offer some kind of answer. "Right?"

Cali shook her head.

"So," he felt his stomach begin to twist into knots. "It's all or nothin' then."

Cali nodded. John's shoulders slumped and his eyes turned to the floor. He thought heavily about what had happened. He nearly killed her and wouldn't have felt one way or another about it, until she died. Then her compulsions would have faded and John would've remembered everything. He would have remembered when they met, the jobs they'd done together and the friendship they had. He would have been left with the realization that he murdered someone he let into his inner circle and he wasn't sure he could process that.

"Why do we even bother doin' this anymore, Cali?" he sighed heavily.

"You know why." She replied.

"It's gettin' more dangerous for me to forget than remember." He exclaimed as he looked at her again. "Christ Cali, I almost killed you."

She glanced down to her tattered and ruined shirt. She tugged lightly at the hem to better see the gaping hole left behind from the stake and sighed. Stepping around John, Cali went to her bag and unzipped it. She pulled out a shirt and stripped herself of the one she was wearing. She turned to face him in her bra as she threaded her arms through the garment.

"What the hell are we supposed to do then, hm?" she asked when her arms were through the sleeves. She looked at John who wasn't staring at her eyes. He was staring outright at her chest. "John!" she snapped.

"Hm?" he looked up and met her gaze. Cali cocked a brow. "What?"

"Seriously?" she asked before slipping the shirt on over her head and pulling it into place.

"Give me a break, love." He defended weakly. "You're standin' there in your undergarments."

"Covered in blood." She replied as though she couldn't believe they were having that particular conversation. John simply shrugged a single shoulder. Cali openly rolled her eyes. "Did you even hear what I said?"

"Not really, no." he answered honestly.

"Pervert." She sighed. Cali turned and made her way towards the bathroom to rinse off her face and hand.

"Hey, you're the one strippin', not me." He said with a smirk. "I'm only human darlin'."

"Well," she sighed as she waited for the water to run clear from the tap. "I suppose it's good one of us is."

John rolled his eyes as he took up leaning against the bathroom door's threshold. He crossed his arms over his chest and lingered while Cali washed the blood from her hands before splashing it on her face and cleaning up.

"This idn't the first time this has happened Cali." John sighed softly.

"No," she replied in the same tone. "But, this was the closest."

Being what he was and how intelligent John could be, it never took long for him to put things together when it came to Cali's species. Whenever they'd cross paths, if it wasn't to specifically visit her, he'd naturally suspect she was involved in whatever brought him and the others to Dallas. It caused some interesting confusion before, but he never went this far. There were some spells thrown around before, a few traps and the like, but never this. This was deadly force.

"Then lets give it a rest, hm?" he asked finally. "I don't much feel like killin' you." She looked up at him through the mirror and met his gaze. It was as heavy as the situation they found themselves in. "I ain't got too many people I trust, so let's not shorten the list, hm?"

A small smile twitched at the corner of his lips which forced her to do the same. Shaking her head primarily to herself, Cali turned off the water and reached for a hand towel to dry off.

"No more stakes in the heart?" she asked with a hint of mocking.

John grumbled and shifted on his feet.

"No more stakes in the heart." He repeated tersely.

Cali tossed her cloth down onto the vanity and turned towards John. She let her hand fall against the same threshold he was still leaning on. Her chest came to rest against his arm which John didn't mind in the least.

"That was a hell of a 180 from just last night." She teased.

John smiled. His eyes began to slowly mill over her features. It still amazed him. In almost twenty years not a single thing about her had changed. She still looked exactly the same. He knew he didn't. John knew how tired he looked, how old and beat down. But that was the life. That's what happened when you looked the Devil in the eye and spit in his face on more than one occasion.

"No more missin' memories this time love." He said softly given their proximity. "Besides, there's a couple in there I'm keen on keepin'."

Cali cocked a brow and smirked. Without a word, she stepped around him and back into the room. John was flirting and so was she. In the past, the pair had fooled around quite freely when they wanted to. They'd never slept together, but that was more at Cali's insistence. She knew –or _assumed_ as far as John was concerned- that she'd hurt him if she got 'too carried away'. He thought she was simply making excuses, but he didn't press it, not truly at least.

When John turned around and rejoined Cali in the living room area, she was in the process of repacking her things. He glanced over at the arrows and crossbow on the floor next to the bloody stake. His brows came together tightly. It was too close this time, too damn close.

"You're not removin' this compulsion," he said after a few moments of silence. When John looked up again, Cali had stopped packing, but not turned around. "Are you?"

He already knew the answer before asking the question and when her shoulders slumped, he knew it even sooner. His brows slowly came together. The things chasing him, the things he hunted, they were all bad, but nothing she couldn't protect herself against. Hell, she'd probably dealt with things like that before in her long life, so it begged one simple question.

"Who you so scared of, love?" he asked when she didn't answer.

If the problem wasn't on his end, it had to be on hers. She tensed, but didn't immediately give an answer. After a moment, she went back to packing.

"You can't give answers to questions no one asks." She said cryptically.

"The bloody hell does that-"

"It means," she snapped. Cali spun on her heel to face him. Her expression was stern at first, but fell quickly. "It means that so long as you don't know me, people won't come looking."

His brows came together tighter than before.

"So this is on your end." He muttered. His words weren't very loud, but they wouldn't have to be for her to hear them. "You're nine hundred bloody years old. Who the hell do you have to be scared of?"

"Don't worry about it." She went back to her task. "You of all people know that everyone has secrets."

Cali finished throwing her things into her bag. She zipped it shut and slung it over her shoulder before turning towards John. She closed the distance between them. Leaning forward, Cali gently kissed his cheek.

"Good-bye John." She told him. "Tell Chas and Zed the same."

The best he could manage was a nod before she was gone. He didn't like forgetting and didn't think he should have to.

Taking the cell phone out of his pocket, John pressed the _stop_ button, the play again.

"_You can't give answers to questions no one asks."_ She said through the recording.

"_The bloody hell does that-"_ he said.

John hit _stop _once more and stowed the phone in his pocket. All he needed was to see or hear her voice and the compulsion would remain. It didn't have to be her, it could be a recording. Loophole.


End file.
